SEOUL, April 03 (AJP) - A team of undergraduate students from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (in South Korea has reached the final stage of the world's largest Mars rover competition. This is the first time a team from the university has qualified for the final round of the international event that is designed to spotlight rovers capable of carrying out missions in environments that are similar to Mars.
The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) said Friday that team MR2, part of the student robotics club Microrobot Research (MR), secured a spot in the 2026 University Rover Challenge (URC). The team is advised by KAIST's Department of Mechanical Engineering Professor Park Yong-hwa.
The URC is an international engineering contest organized by the Mars Society. It takes place at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Utah, where the desert environment closely resembles the surface of Mars. Participating students must design and build rovers to complete tasks involving life detection, equipment maintenance, and autonomous driving.
A total of 116 university teams from 18 countries entered the preliminary rounds of the competition this year. KAIST MR2 earned 95.38 percent on their evaluation, placing them among the top 38 teams invited to the finals. The result highlights the design and control capabilities of the South Korean undergraduate researchers.
The team's rover, named GAP-1000, is a modular vehicle built to operate in extreme conditions. It features a robotic arm with six joints, which allows it to move with a level of flexibility similar to a human arm. This design enables the rover to lift objects weighing more than 5 kilograms and perform delicate repairs on machinery.
The vehicle also features an advanced navigation system that combines high-precision satellite positioning with sensors that track the rover's movement and wheel rotation. This allows the GAP-1000 to find the most efficient paths through rocky and difficult terrain without human intervention. A drone relay system ensures the team can maintain a communication link with the rover even when it travels behind obstacles.
For its scientific mission, the rover uses a drill to collect soil samples from 10 centimeters below the surface. An onboard laboratory uses chemical tests and light analysis to check for proteins and other biological signs of life in real time. The system is designed to provide immediate feedback on whether a sample contains traces of living organisms.
"We handled everything from the initial design to the final production ourselves, and though we faced many challenges, we are happy to be the first team from our school to make it to the finals," said student leader Jeong Myeong-woo. He added that the team will focus on final preparations to ensure a strong performance in the United States.
Professor Park Yong-hwa said it was impressive to see the students independently develop a rover for such a harsh environment. He noted that the competition serves as an opportunity to showcase South Korean technical expertise to a global audience.
President Lee Kwang-hyung said that having undergraduate students design and build a rover that can compete on the world stage is a significant achievement. He stated that he expects the experience to help the students grow through international competition.
The MR2 team consists of 13 students from several departments, including mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and industrial design. The group has finished long-distance testing in outdoor environments and is currently performing final system checks. The finals are scheduled to take place at the MDRS in Utah from May 27 to May 30, 2026.
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