Latest generation Lunar Rover Artemis
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Since 1962, Ontario Drive & Gear Limited (ODG) has successfully been operating in the Region of Waterloo, Ontario – in Canada’s Technology Triangle. Last week, ODG’s incredible diversity and expertise has once again proven successful as its newest Lunar Rover, Artemis Jr., was demonstrated to NASA and the American press at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The ODG team was on site integrating the Canadian Rover to the NASA-designed payload.
ODG’s Space and Robotics Division designs innovative rover concepts for future lunarexploration in partnership with the Canadian Space Agency and NASA. Since 2008, ODG has developed several generations of lightweight 4 and 8-wheeled robotic rovers, including the Juno, Juno II, Artemis and now the Artemis Jr. for traversing the extreme lunar surface and for transporting science and exploration payloads. In 2010, ODG participated in and supported the NASA-led deployment in Hawaii called RESOLVE with six Juno Rovers, and is returning to Hawaii again this year for testing with Artemis Jr. ODG is responsible for the conceptual design, as well as the detailed design and fabrication of the chassis frame, drive system, transmissions, suspension, and all other mechanical components including a specially designed patent pending titanium wheel. Other aspects of the Rover were developed in collaboration with CrossChasm (a University of Waterloo start-up company), Neptec, Provectus and Norcat.
The ODG team includes recent graduates from the University of Western Ontario, McMaster University, Fanshawe College and Conestoga College which demonstrate ODG’s commitment to local educational institutions.
ODG's dedicated design and manufacturing team comes with decades of proven experience in design and development. The team works closely with its customers to deliver fully integrated, leading edge, extreme off-road vehicle solutions – that are out of this world.