Who Are We?
Arkansas Razorbotz is a student team at the University of Arkansas designing, building, and programming autonomous lunar mining rovers for the NASA Lunabotics Challenge at Kennedy Space Center.
History
Arkansas Razorbotz was founded in 2010 and has competed in NASA's lunar robotics competition since then.
First NASA Lunabotics Competition
2nd place innovation at CoSMiC
Competed at UCF
Our Competition
Lunabotics is structured like a formal NASA mission. We don't just build a robot—we manage a full systems-engineering lifecycle. We submit design papers, present trade studies to a NASA review panel, and validate our mechanical and software systems under strict constraints.
The finals run over a week each May at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, testing our hardware in a specialized arena filled with highly abrasive lunar regolith simulant. A scoring run must excavate regolith, traverse an obstacle filled zone, then deposit the regolith and navigate back.
Subteams
Every member joins a subteam. [Edit these to match how your team is actually organized.]
Mechanical
Design the chassis, drivetrain, and excavation system in CAD, and run the trade studies behind each choice.
Electrical
Lay out power distribution, route PCBs, and wire motors, sensors, and compute into one reliable system.
Software & Autonomy
Write the ROS 2 stack that lets the rover navigate, dig, and build on its own, and test it in simulation first.
Systems Engineering
Track requirements, manage interfaces between subteams, and write the design papers NASA reviews.
FAQ
What majors can join?
Most of our team studies mechanical, electrical, or computer engineering, or computer science—but operating complex rovers requires fabricators, designers, operations managers, and systems engineers just as much. Every major is welcome.
Do I need robotics experience?
No prior robotics experience is required. If you have experience, you can start contributing right away. If not, the team is developing onboarding and training materials.
What is the time commitment?
Meetings last an average of four hours a week, but students often work more than that, especially during the weeks leading up to competition.
How do I join?
Come to a meeting—times and location are listed below—or email us at razorbotz@uark.edu.
Our Sponsors
Building aerospace-grade hardware takes custom fabrication, specialized components, and travel. Our sponsors make this possible.
Join the Razorbotz
No prior robotics experience is required. Here's what you get:
- Hands-on CAD, PCB routing, machining, and ROS 2 development
- Formal NASA systems-engineering experience for your resume
- Travel to compete at Kennedy Space Center
Meeting Info
| Time | Wednesdays at 3pm and Saturdays at 10am |
|---|---|
| Location | MEEG 223 |
| razorbotz@uark.edu |
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