Vesuvius

Mission system: Piston Battering Ram

Challenge: This challenge required teams to eject their payload at the rocket’s apogee. As the payload descended on its own parachute, an onboard camera and processing system had to actively scan the ground, identify specific high-contrast targets set up in the landing field, and track them.

Design/Execution: The payload was named the Piston Battering Ram (PBR), comprising two primary subsystems: the Target Differentiation System (TDS) and the Upright Landing System (ULS). The payload was ejected from the launch vehicle at apogee via an ARRD pyrotechnic tether-and-release device and descended under its own independent parachute. During descent, the TDS used a Raspberry Pi 3 Model B microcomputer and a Raspberry Pi Camera Module v2 to actively capture images of the landing zone. Custom computer vision software processed the images onboard, identified the competition targets on the field, and differentiated between them. After touchdown, the servo-controlled ULS deployed to upright the payload from its resting orientation if required, with onboard orientation sensor telemetry confirming the upright landing. During the full-scale test flight, the fin detached from its parachute and fell ballistically, and the payload failed to engage both the TDS target differentiation system and the ULS upright landing system. Repairs and design changes were made before the competition launch.