No, I'm talking about incorpating all of the Sim-type games. Where in traditional fantasy role-playing games you pick a class like Fighter or Thief, here you would pick classes like "Citizen", "Mayor", "Building Manager", "Golf Course Manager" or "Theme Park Designer"
And they would all interact in their different way.
Its infeasible for a single player game to span single citizens up to mayor level control (or even more with SimEarth), but in an MMORPG, each of the elements can be properly represented.
Combining all the various Sim* into one game would be tricky, but we came up with a better idea.
A Sim* MMORPG. Some people could play Sims, others could be mayors, others would build life-forms, others could control ants, and the building managers, and so on.
This contest is just 4 months old as is, so all designs are quite preliminary. However, these are the general specifications of our design (no particular order):
- 3 Crew (can be operated by 1, or teleoperated) - 10 day missions (in emergency, it can support the crew for 33 days) - 1000 km total traverse (500 both ways) - 3000 kg dry weight, 5000 kg wet weight - Wheel-to-wheel width of 4.3m, length of 5.2m, wheel to roof height of 3.7m - Includes shower (the fuel cells we use produce pure H20 which can be used "free" for washing) - Airlock large enough for comfortable 2-crew EVA preperation - Interior standing room of 2m - Multiple dust-contamination-prevention protocols - Manipulator arm and glovebox design to minimize EVA (and thus, wear and tear and danger to crew) - In-hub electric motors, powered by fuel cells (check out the Ballard Mark 900 if you don't believe how efficient and powerful these are) - 100 horsepower per wheel - 1 meter clearance, capable of climbing nearly 2 m rocks by putting a wheel up on the obstacle - Extensible bench and flat-screen television for crew recreation - 7-axis manipulator arm capable of lifting 30 kg at a range of 3 m from the rover - Core-sampling drill which can drill to a depth of 10m (has automatic loading core sections to minimize EVA) - Solar array capable of powering life-support systems in an emergency - Independent 4-wheel suspension (modelled from Humvee) - Capable of withstanding roll-over (although I can't see that happening...), with winches to extricate the rover from any position - Has room for 8 4U 19" rackmount instruments (including a linux server:) - All control is fly-by-wire
These specifications are different from those put forth by the contest, but those specifications are short-sighted. We felt this what a true Mars rover needed. This design is preliminary, but its a good idea of what the final will be like. We currently have corporate support for our tires, electric motors, power supplys, batteries, welding equipment, etc, and are actively seeking sponsorship and team members. We will be presenting this to the Mars Society August 10th through 13th, and hope to secure the bid and $10,000 towards the construction.
Not that much less. I don't have the exact number, we have in-hub electric motors which put a good deal of the total mass about as low as you can get it. I know the tip-angle with empty tanks is certainly greater than 30 degrees, though. I'll get one our structure guys to crunch that number tonight. - Warren Strong
Actually, the center of gravity is low since we keep all of our tanks in a storage section of the floor. With a wheelbase as wide as this (~14 feet), our design can sit on a 50 degree side-incline and not tip.
Here are some points we describe when presenting, that images alone do not convey:
The chairs have posts in their bases that can extended into holes in the floor, making them far more secure.
The vehicle is large. On the exterior shot, the tires are 4 feet tall. (I haven't put a picture of myself standing next to the rover yet:)
This is an important thing to do, despite Earth's gravity, and other quirks, because no one is doing this work. Because of this contest, there are hundreds of engineers and scientists worldwide working on real Mars Rover designs. While it may not be 100% useful, it will put alot more thought and research out into the manned vehicle arena.
The idea is that this analog (as in analogy, as in comparison) vehicle is not restricted by mass limits, but rather by budget limits, while on the other hand, the real rover, is not restricted by budget limits (nearly as much as these projects) but are restricted by mass limits.
Either way, with the vehicle we will be building, you will be able to simulate all important Mars operations, as well as figure out a good chunk of the engineering problems.
The funny thing about the Mars Society is that the top group of "elite" Mars Society guys are playing kids games. They just want their Discovery Channel sponsorship money and think only of big things. But in reality, it is the hard working chapters across the world of the Mars Society which get the real work done. Its unfortunate that our leadership doesn't understand that.
Feel free to email me and ask more questions,
---- Warren Strong Life Support & Internal Systems Design Leader Michigan Mars Rover Design Project
This rover would be used by the Artic Base simulated missions. It is also an investigation into what is possible with a Martian rover. It will be presented at the Mars Society conference in Toronto in 10 days.
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No, I'm talking about incorpating all of the Sim-type games.
Where in traditional fantasy role-playing games you pick a class like Fighter or Thief, here you would pick classes like "Citizen", "Mayor", "Building Manager", "Golf Course Manager" or "Theme Park Designer"
And they would all interact in their different way.
Its infeasible for a single player game to span single citizens up to mayor level control (or even more with SimEarth), but in an MMORPG, each of the elements can be properly represented.
Combining all the various Sim* into one game would be tricky, but we came up with a better idea.
A Sim* MMORPG. Some people could play Sims, others could be mayors, others would build life-forms, others could control ants, and the building managers, and so on.
It could be a really cool MMORPG...
This contest is just 4 months old as is, so all designs are quite preliminary.
:)
However, these are the general specifications of our design (no particular order):
- 3 Crew (can be operated by 1, or teleoperated)
- 10 day missions (in emergency, it can support the crew for 33 days)
- 1000 km total traverse (500 both ways)
- 3000 kg dry weight, 5000 kg wet weight
- Wheel-to-wheel width of 4.3m, length of 5.2m, wheel to roof height of 3.7m
- Includes shower (the fuel cells we use produce pure H20 which can be used "free" for washing)
- Airlock large enough for comfortable 2-crew EVA preperation
- Interior standing room of 2m
- Multiple dust-contamination-prevention protocols
- Manipulator arm and glovebox design to minimize EVA (and thus, wear and tear and danger to crew)
- In-hub electric motors, powered by fuel cells (check out the Ballard Mark 900 if you don't believe how efficient and powerful these are)
- 100 horsepower per wheel
- 1 meter clearance, capable of climbing nearly 2 m rocks by putting a wheel up on the obstacle
- Extensible bench and flat-screen television for crew recreation
- 7-axis manipulator arm capable of lifting 30 kg at a range of 3 m from the rover
- Core-sampling drill which can drill to a depth of 10m (has automatic loading core sections to minimize EVA)
- Solar array capable of powering life-support systems in an emergency
- Independent 4-wheel suspension (modelled from Humvee)
- Capable of withstanding roll-over (although I can't see that happening...), with winches to extricate the rover from any position
- Has room for 8 4U 19" rackmount instruments (including a linux server
- All control is fly-by-wire
These specifications are different from those put forth by the contest, but those specifications are short-sighted.
We felt this what a true Mars rover needed.
This design is preliminary, but its a good idea of what the final will be like.
We currently have corporate support for our tires, electric motors, power supplys, batteries, welding equipment, etc, and are actively seeking sponsorship and team members.
We will be presenting this to the Mars Society August 10th through 13th, and hope to secure the bid and $10,000 towards the construction.
See you all on Mars someday...
- Warren Strong
wstrong@umich.edu
Not that much less. I don't have the exact number, we have in-hub electric motors which put a good deal of the total mass about as low as you can get it. I know the tip-angle with empty tanks is certainly greater than 30 degrees, though. I'll get one our structure guys to crunch that number tonight. - Warren Strong
Actually, the center of gravity is low since we keep all of our tanks in a storage section of the floor.
With a wheelbase as wide as this (~14 feet), our design can sit on a 50 degree side-incline and not tip.
- Warren Strong
This is an important thing to do, despite Earth's gravity, and other quirks, because no one is doing this work. Because of this contest, there are hundreds of engineers and scientists worldwide working on real Mars Rover designs. While it may not be 100% useful, it will put alot more thought and research out into the manned vehicle arena.
The idea is that this analog (as in analogy, as in comparison) vehicle is not restricted by mass limits, but rather by budget limits, while on the other hand, the real rover, is not restricted by budget limits (nearly as much as these projects) but are restricted by mass limits.
Either way, with the vehicle we will be building, you will be able to simulate all important Mars operations, as well as figure out a good chunk of the engineering problems.
The funny thing about the Mars Society is that the top group of "elite" Mars Society guys are playing kids games. They just want their Discovery Channel sponsorship money and think only of big things. But in reality, it is the hard working chapters across the world of the Mars Society which get the real work done. Its unfortunate that our leadership doesn't understand that.
Feel free to email me and ask more questions,
----
Warren Strong
Life Support & Internal Systems Design Leader
Michigan Mars Rover Design Project
This rover would be used by the Artic Base simulated missions. It is also an investigation into what is possible with a Martian rover.
It will be presented at the Mars Society conference in Toronto in 10 days.
You can see an image of the
Email our team for more information.
This vehicle will be constructed in the next year or two.
----
Warren Strong
Life Support & Internal Systems Design Leader
Michigan Mars Rover Design Project