This IIT Madras team is building rovers & drones for MARS EXPLORATION | BP2B: Student Edition! Ep.05

Space exploration isn’t just happening at NASA or ISRO labs — it’s being built by students too. In this episode of Best Place to Build – Student Edition, we go inside Team Anveshak, the space robotics team of IIT Madras, to understand how students design, build, and test Mars-style rovers, autonomous systems, drones, and astrobiology modules from scratch. The team walks us through: • How a semi-autonomous Mars rover is built and tested • Why rovers and drones work together in real space missions • How students simulate Martian terrain and mission constraints on Earth • The engineering behind 3D-printed rover wheels and gearboxes • Building an in-house spectrometer to detect signs of extraterrestrial life • The role of AI, sensors, and onboard computing in space autonomy • Competing in national and international space robotics challenges • Leadership, teamwork, and staying motivated in high-pressure competition teams From mechanical design and electronics to software, biology, and chemistry, this episode shows how interdisciplinary engineering comes together to push the future of space technology forward. If you’re a student interested in space tech, robotics, AI, or engineering teams, this is a must-watch. Key Highlights 00:48 Anveshak: Team Lead Introduction and what Anveshak does 01:58 Rover and Drone Partnership: How does it help? 02:40 Mars: Why Mars and how is the Mars environment replicated for testing? 06:25 Competition Experience: Anxiety inducing or Exciting? 09:22 Meet Isaac: Anveshak’s current rover and upcoming competitions 12:18 Anveshak Results: Competition wins and Achievements 14:22 Designing a Robot for Mars: The difference and challenges 21:18 Money Matters: Rover costs and saving costs with 3D printing 25:30 The Anveshak Drone: Masterclass on drones and how they work 27:31 Autonomous Driving: How do you remotely drive a vehicle on a different planet? 32:17 In-House Development: What parts has the team built on its own? 33:50 Anveshak Astrobiology Module: What is the mission and what does the module do? 37:43 Women in STEM: Adithi’s advice to girls in STEM and future plans for Anveshak

Adithiguest

Dec 19, 202543mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: December 19, 2025
Duration: 43m
Channel: Best Place To Build
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Space exploration isn’t just happening at NASA or ISRO labs — it’s being built by students too. In this episode of Best Place to Build – Student Edition, we go inside Team Anveshak, the space robotics team of IIT Madras, to understand how students design, build, and test Mars-style rovers, autonomous systems, drones, and astrobiology modules from scratch. The team walks us through:
How a semi-autonomous Mars rover is built and tested
Why rovers and drones work together in real space missions
How students simulate Martian terrain and mission constraints on Earth
The engineering behind 3D-printed rover wheels and gearboxes
Building an in-house spectrometer to detect signs of extraterrestrial life
The role of AI, sensors, and onboard computing in space autonomy
Competing in national and international space robotics challenges
Leadership, teamwork, and staying motivated in high-pressure competition teams
From mechanical design and electronics to software, biology, and chemistry, this episode shows how interdisciplinary engineering comes together to push the future of space technology forward. If you’re a student interested in space tech, robotics, AI, or engineering teams, this is a must-watch. Key Highlights 00:48 Anveshak: Team Lead Introduction and what Anveshak does 01:58 Rover and Drone Partnership: How does it help? 02:40 Mars: Why Mars and how is the Mars environment replicated for testing? 06:25 Competition Experience: Anxiety inducing or Exciting? 09:22 Meet Isaac: Anveshak’s current rover and upcoming competitions 12:18 Anveshak Results: Competition wins and Achievements 14:22 Designing a Robot for Mars: The difference and challenges 21:18 Money Matters: Rover costs and saving costs with 3D printing 25:30 The Anveshak Drone: Masterclass on drones and how they work 27:31 Autonomous Driving: How do you remotely drive a vehicle on a different planet? 32:17 In-House Development: What parts has the team built on its own? 33:50 Anveshak Astrobiology Module: What is the mission and what does the module do? 37:43 Women in STEM: Adithi’s advice to girls in STEM and future plans for Anveshak

SPEAKERS

Adithi
guest

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Best Place To Build, featuring Adithi, This IIT Madras team is building rovers & drones for MARS EXPLORATION | BP2B: Student Edition! Ep.05 explores iIT Madras students build Mars rovers, drones, and science payloads. Team Anveshak builds prototype Mars rovers and a complementary drone module to expand exploration reach beyond what humans or ground rovers alone can access.

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