Engineering360: "Video: Help build a better moon-digging robot for NASA"

Not sure that you have the right concept for solution to the problem here. It looks far too heavy, complicated, clumsy and obviously not good at digging or transporting the material. The concept used to counteract the digging forces seems not to be working. I think these can be minimised in other ways.

It would help if you listed all the fundamental requirements and their relative importance, without implying or ruling out any potential solution.

One could then try applying some De Bono free & lateral thinking principles to create various concepts that may provide solutions to the list. One usually finds a best solution from a combination of these. The best solution always turns out to be simplest, lightest, most economic, etc.

The problem is that by revealing an experimental solution you will have affected the outcome. However, the well trained and experienced can mitigate the effects and expunge the thoughts.

To do this properly you need to introduce the problem to a widely talented engineering related team, who have no idea of the problem you are to present or preconceptions of solutions. (this is the free thinking bit).

Best of Luck

Mark.

What are the identified limits of the present prototype? What kind of improvements are you looking for? Best regards. Laurent

Rules and regulations for the design challenge are here, about halfway down the page:

https://grabcad.com/challenges/nasa-regolith-advanced-surface-systems-operations-robot-rassor-bucket-drum-design-challenge

The bucket drum concept is not the best solution. As is, these will end up full of regolith that cannot be emptied, due to jamming. Adding baffles will exacerbate the problem. This will make the robot useless.

Remove the bucket drum stipulation and you might get a sensible submission that will work.