I have always been drawn to space exploration and to the challenge of building reliable, intelligent systems for extreme environments. During this six-month internship at Space Applications Services, I worked as part of multidisciplinary engineering teams and contributed to two projects for future human spaceflight.

Project 1: EMRS

EMRS (European Moon Rover System) is a European mobile robotic platform intended to support future lunar-surface operations.

I contributed to the rover’s assembly, control, and software development. Working across these areas gave me a practical understanding of how mechanical, electrical, and software components must be integrated into a reliable robotic system.

My main contributions included:

  • Integration and wiring: Installed and tested components, managed multiple power sources, and performed soldering and wiring activities during system integration.

  • PCB design: Designed a power-distribution board used in the project, applying hardware-design principles from my academic coursework.

  • ROS 2 locomotion: Developed six locomotion modes—differential drive, Ackermann, skid steering, double Ackermann, crabbing, and point turn—using geometric transformations and controller inputs.

Learn more:

Source: European Moon Rover System (EMRS)

Project 2: X-aRm

X-aRm, a Force-Feedback Device to Train Future Astronauts with eXtended Realities.

This project provides an immersive training environment in which astronauts can practise manipulating objects in microgravity-like conditions.

I contributed to the development, tuning, and delivery of the system in the following areas:

  • Admittance control: Designed and tuned the admittance-control loop for the force-feedback system through iterative testing. I also evaluated calibration methods and parameter adjustments based on relevant technical literature.

  • VR communication: Implemented real-time communication with the 3D simulation engine, including inverse-kinematics calculations and serialization of arm-state data with Protocol Buffers.

  • Web interface and deployment: Modified and deployed a web interface for monitoring system status. I also contributed to a state machine that handled system events and safety conditions.

Learn more:

Source: X-aRm: Force-Feedback Device