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Ben Saenz

Engineer

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UMD Loop Mars Rover Development

ROS2PythonOpenCVMatlabCAN

Pioneering the next generation of Mars exploration through robotics and autonomous systems.

UMD Loop is a competitive engineering team participating in the University Rover Challenge (URC), an annual robotics competition where collegiate teams from around the world design and build Mars rovers. The competition challenges participants to develop robust, versatile rovers that can assist astronauts in future Martian exploration by handling scientific, navigational, and operational tasks.

As a member of the Integration Sub-Team, my role focuses on ensuring seamless communication and functionality across all rover systems. This includes working with sub-teams responsible for the rover's drive system, robotic arm, scientific instrumentation, and electrical subsystems to integrate core systems such as motor control, autonomous navigation, and system-wide communications.

My contributions have centered on the development and implementation of key robotic functionalities:

  • Autonomous Navigation: Researching and implementing epipolar geometry, stereo camera calibration, and depth estimation to enable precise autonomous movement and obstacle avoidance.
  • Core Communication: Facilitating CAN protocol-based communication for motor controls and sensor data integration, ensuring real-time responsiveness across the rover.
  • Computer Vision: Applying advanced techniques such as Scale-Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) and disparity mapping for 3D scene reconstruction and stereo vision.

Our team's research into stereo vision and depth mapping has involved deep exploration of mathematical concepts like epipolar geometry and fundamental matrix derivation. By calibrating and rectifying stereo cameras, we enable the rover to compute accurate depth maps, an essential capability for navigating the harsh and unknown terrains of Mars.

The UMD Loop project embodies a unique combination of advanced robotics, interdisciplinary collaboration, and real-world problem-solving. Through this work, I have gained hands-on experience in system integration, robotics software development, and cutting-edge computer vision techniques—all while contributing to the broader mission of advancing planetary exploration.

Last Updated November 2024