The BetaBots challenge is intended primarily as a learning vehicle for FIRST Robotics teams, where students build their skills and apply their knowledge in a low-stress, fun environment in preparation for the upcoming FRC season. To this end we’d like to encourage teams to prioritize student involvement during the strategizing, designing, building, and competing phases. We might even make a prize for it.

Mission: Jezero is a series of head to head missions to determine the optimal retrieval mechanisms for a Mars 2020 Rover. The objective is to deliver as many Samples (Surface Rocks and Core Samples) to the Mars Lander as possible. Robot design and mission strategy, combined with effective autonomous ability and careful driving, are all critical for mission success in this extra-terrestrial challenge to find life on Mars.

In the not-so-distant year 2020, NASA plans to land a rover on Mars to collect rock and soil samples with the hope of one day returning them back to Earth. One of three promising landing sites is the Martian crater Jezero, an ancient Martian lake that may hold evidence of microbial life on Mars. If successful, this expedition’s samples will help us lay the basis for future Mars missions, and may one day help us uncover the secrets of our Solar System and life itself.

2 – The Jezero Crater

The missions take place in a simulation of the Jezero Crater, a 15′ wide by 30′ long carpeted area bordered by the Crater Rim. The Crater is divided into three zones: a central Neutral Zone bordered by two Safe Zones. Several obstacles in the crater need to be navigated by the robots to access the Samples.

Figure 2‐1 Mission: Jezero field

At the center of the Neutral Zone is the Ravine. The Ravine has three areas: a central Ridge which is bordered on the left and right by two Rock Arches. Two additional Ridges run perpendicular to the central Ridge on either side of the Ravine.

As always, teams should consult the Field Drawings for full specifications.

In each Safe Zone are two Boulders, placed in one of four set positions for the mission. Each team’s Mars Lander is located in the corner of the team’s Safe Zone. Samples are returned to the Cargo Hold of their Mars Lander.

The video accompanying this document shows the boulders on the incorrect side of the field.

Figure 2‐2 Boulder positions

2.1 – The Samples

The objective of Mission: Jezero is to collect two types of samples: Surface Rocks (5″ diameter wiffle balls) and Core Samples (4″ diameter ABS tube, 14″ tall).

Approximately 100 Surface Rocks loosely fill the Ravine.

Five Core Samples are placed at set locations in the Crater: three atop each Ridge, and two below the Rock Arches. Two of the Cores are secretly loaded with a Microbe before each mission. Teams will not know which Cores hold Microbes. Core Samples have a 2″ strip of reflective tape around the top to aid autonomous programming.

Figure 2.1‐1 Core Sample, Surface Rock, and Microbe (not to scale)

2.2 – The Mars Lander

Robots start in the Cargo Hold of their Lander and proceed down the ramp into the Crater. The Cargo Hold is a level 3’ by 4’ platform 6 inches off the ground bordered on three sides by railings to prevent robots from exiting. The railing at the back of the Cargo Hold has a 12″ long piece of 2″ wide reflective tape to aid autonomous programming. The ramp is a 3′ by 4′ diamond plate surface inclined at approximately 7° to the carpet.