Overview
Talos marks a new pinnacle in the Mars Rover Design Team’s legacy — the world champion rover of the 2025 University Rover Challenge. With a seamless integration of robust mechanical systems, cutting-edge scientific instrumentation, and fully autonomous capabilities, Talos led the field with a commanding first place finish. Building on years of innovation and teamwork, this rover represented not just technical mastery, but a deep commitment to excellence, resilience, and exploration.
Key Achievements
- URC 2025 World Champion – 1st Place Overall at the University Rover Challenge, scoring 412.27 points
- 1st in System Acceptance Review – Highest score of all 114 teams and 38 finalists
- 1st in Equipment Servicing – Finished over 30 points ahead of second place
- 2nd in Delivery Mission
- Tied for 3rd in Science Mission
- Tied for 4th in Autonomous Navigation
Technical Innovations
- Custom Spectroscopy Instruments: Talos featured a newly developed custom autofluorescence spectrometer, enabling real-time, in-situ analysis of soil samples. This cutting-edge instrument significantly enhanced the rover’s ability to identify and differentiate compounds and minerals with high precision, delivering valuable scientific insights during the mission.
- Robotic Arm: Talos featured a custom 5-axis robotic arm with a linear x-axis, engineered for both precision and adaptability in the field. Its advanced motion control system enabled the rover to perform complex tasks — including autonomous typing, intricate object manipulation, and reliable object collection — all with a high degree of accuracy and consistency.
- Intelligent Autonomous Navigation Talos featured a robust autonomous navigation system built on real-time vision-based perception, waypoint tracking, and tag detection. Leveraging a combination of camera input, inertial data, and onboard computation, Talos was able to navigate challenging terrain, avoid obstacles, and reliably execute autonomous missions
SAR Video
Rover Reveal
Media Gallery
