Our Robot Design Proposal

    For the 2011 MoonBots challenge, our robot would utilize many of the features that would make a robot successful both on the moon and on the playing field. These features will make our robot consistent, one of the most important aspects of a winning robot design.

    One feature our robot would leverage is the power of sensors. Multiple sensors would allow the robot to reliably determine its positioning, no matter where it is. Sensors would be especially important in a real-life moon mission because it would be vital to relay information gained on the moon back to Earth, thousands of miles away.    

    Another feature of our robot would be a sturdy base with a low center of gravity. The low center of gravity of our robot would prevent tipping, while the sturdy base would help to increase the overall strength of the robot. Additionally, our robot would have a compact design, enabling it to maneuver through tight spaces.    

    Because consistency is a key aspect of a winning robot, consistent programming is major factor. Our robot would utilize consistent programming, as well as the ability to remotely reset the robot, should there be a bug in the program.    

    You can't pound in a nail with a screwdriver, and you can't screw in a screw with a hammer. You need the right tools to get the job done. That's why our robot would employ simple, strong, and effective attachments that accomplish their job every time. These attachments would gain us maximum points, with minimum risk.
   
    An important part of the MoonBots mission this year is to attach a camera to your robot, so that it can take video of the missions while they're being completed. On our robot, the camera would be mounted on shocks, so that if the robot drove over bumps there would still be a relatively clear picture. If this were a real-life mission to the moon however, we would gyro-stabilize the camera, so as to allow for an ultra clear picture. In both cases, it's extremely important that the video that's produced is crystal clear.
   
    Our final, and most important feature, is our wheel base. Our wheel base would be similar to that of the Mars Rover, with multiple wheels for stability, as well as shocks to help the robot to get over hills and rough terrain. In addition, we would use a wheel base that would allow for either a wide width wheel, or a narrow width wheel. This multi-faceted wheel base would provide a significant advantage, with the wheels able to be switched out depending on how much traction was needed to perform the mission.    

    To conclude, we hope you as the Sponsors will choose to fund our robot. We have big plans for our robot, and are excited to start working on it. Our robot can be great, but we need you to send us to phase 2! Les Brown, a motivational speaker, once said “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars.” Well, no offense to Mr. Brown, but we're not going to miss! We're so excited to be a part of the 2011 MoonBots Challenge, and we hope that you will agree to fund our design.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Sincerely,

                                                                                                                          Robo LEGO San Diego