Each year since 2008, the Oregon State Robotics Club Rover Team has had an entry in the University Rover Challenge, a competition organized by the Mars Society held annually at their Hanksville, UT headquarters. How best to put your rover through its practice paces? By having it traverse the Oregon State football team, of course. In the video following the jump, OSU players lay face down in a line as the rover attempts to navigate over 200 bodies, breaking the record of 32 players the club set last season.
Video following the jump (some NSFW language).
While the Rover weighs approximately 95 pounds — “when it drives over you it feels like five pounds,” Robotics Club president Ryan Albright said. As the rover continued over the line of players, the ones at the front of the line rotated to the end until the rover had made it approximately 80 yards for the touchdown.
The OSU Rover Team won the national title in 2008.
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Video: OSU Mars Rover takes it to the house over 200 Beavers [Dr. Saturday]
Welcome to the OSURC University Rover Challenge Team website! [OSU Robotics Club]
Spring Practice — Day 14 — A Lunar Landing, of sorts [OSUBeavers.com]
