< >
PHOEBE is a lunar excavation rover with a scooper in the front mounted on a rotary arm that lifts the soil up and deposits it in a storage bin. The drivebase has four wheels independently powered by brushless motors and uses skid steering. The wheels have three claws that can spin and raise the robot to drive over obstacles, while two linear actuators in the drivebase push a bar which raises the bin. To fit in the frame perimeter, the scoop folds back into the bin. The robot transports lots of regolith and has a high payload ratio. Mechanisms are powered by a lithium polymer battery. To mitigate dust, all electronics were shielded and plastic was avoided. Most all components are made from 7010 aluminum, which is relatively lightweight but very corrosion resistant. All metal is nano-coined to have a texture designed to repel dust.