The 5th grade did a rover simulation. The purpose of the simulation was to compare to the real Mars rovers. Another purpose of the rover simulation is to find out the different temperatures in the room. We were trying to figure out why some temperatures were different in the same room. We experienced both driving rovers and moving as rovers.
The simulation worked by dividing everyone in groups of four. There would be two drivers and two rovers. The drivers would send one-step commands and the rovers would follow the command. The rovers would not bump into an object and destroy itself. It would go around the object and continue. There would be a two minute delay when drivers were sending the commands. If the rovers could follow the command successfully, they would send back complete. If the rovers could not follow the command, they would send back fail.
The simulation was different than I thought it would be, because the delay feels longer than it really is. It is really exciting when you plan a path for the rover. It is frustrating when there is a fail. It can also be frustrating when the plan is long and slow. The simulation helped me understand how mars rovers communicate with the drivers.
We had a conversation with the real rover driver Scott Maxwell. He told us about failures, rovers, procedures, and commands. He also told us about when Spirit fell into a sand trap. The procedure for getting Spirit to still work was to have it take sample info and send it back. He told us about microorganisms that probably lived on Mars. He told us it usually takes a few hours to make a program.
In conclusion, the experience is great because you know what is like to be the rover and the driver. The delay is less than it really is in space, but it sets a good example for timing. With Scott Maxwell, we learned about many interesting things. I had a great time doing this, and I hope to do something like this again!
