Hong Kong, 7 July 2020 ————– Founder and Managing Director of Sepia Design Consultants Limited, Thomas Schmidt, was awarded an Honorable Mention in the NASA Tournament’s “Exploring Hell: Avoiding Obstacles on a Clockwork Rover” design competition. Organized by HeroX, the design challenge called for a mechanically-based obstacle sensor system for a future rover that would be able to withstand the extreme temperatures and pressures at the surface of Venus. The international design competition attracted 572 entries from over 80 countries; Schmidt’s solution was among the top 15 entries that received awards from the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
The Double Octopus
Schmidt’s winning “Double Octopus” design consisted of an intricately nested system of gears and spring-powered mechanical “tentacles” that have the ability to detect holes and obstacles in front of the rover to actuate a reverse drive avoidance mechanism. Additional on-board pitch and roll sensors are triggered when the rover encounters slopes greater than 30 degrees, resulting in a danger of overturning. As the extreme temperatures of the planet surface disallowed any electronic or computer-based systems, a mechanical system was the recommended solution for this design challenge.
The Verdict
“Your submission was engaging and well-crafted, and your ideas were unanimously applauded by the evaluation panel. It was selected as an Honorable Mention from 572 total entries through a rigorous evaluation process. In recognition of the high caliber submission you submitted, we will be sending a certificate from NASA recognizing your achievement in the coming days.”
Representative of competition organizer HeroX
Schmidt responded, “I’m happy that as a problem-solving architect, I am able to collaboratively advance efforts in space exploration and space tourism.”
Schmidt was also Winner of the 2011 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Technical Feasibility and Elegance Award for his design of a lunar habitat / hotel located at the moon’s south pole.
Thomas Schmidt’s award-winning “Double Octopus” entry:
Editor’s Note: Thomas Schmidt, AIA, NCARB, ANZIA, LEED AP is the founder of Sepia Design Consultants Limited, an award-winning design multi-disciplinary consultancy specializing in creative and sustainable design solutions for the hospitality industry. Schmidt is also author and illustrator of the award-winning Bumbling Traveller Adventure Series which seeks to promote environmental and cultural awareness through entertaining mysteries and adventures, which was recognized by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) through a 2010 Chapter Citation.