Video: Help build a better moon-digging robot for NASA
S. Himmelstein | March 20, 2020The Moon-mining robot under development for NASA’s next lunar mission needs some improvement, and the agency is inviting submission of new bucket drum designs for the dirt digger.
The Regolith Advanced Surface Systems Operations Robot (RASSOR) uses bucket drums to excavate regolith, 
Close-up of the RASSOR bucket drums. Source: NASA/Kim Shiflettwhich can be processed to extract hydrogen, oxygen and water for life support systems. The current bucket drums are hollow cylinders positioned on either end of the robot, with scoops around the circumference of the cylinders. RASSOR digs in opposing ends toward the other, which balances the excavation forces and makes it easier to dig.
A better bucket drum and baffling are called for, and NASA is accepting design ideas that have not been previously published, exhibited or put into production for this RASSOR component. Suitable designs should have a fill ratio exceeding 50%, which means the interior volume will be more than half full with regolith when it reached the maximum amount it can hold.
The RASSOR Bucket Drum Design Challenge is open through April 20, 2020, after which a total of $7,000 will be awarded for the top five submissions.
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/
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.