Challenge: Emergency Challenge

Check out Alpha's team video on our YouTube channel! They introduce their team, challenge and solutions.

Challenge: Greenhouse Challenge

Check out 6Ps' team video on our YouTube channel! They introduce their team, challenge and solutions.

Challenge: Emergency Challenge

Check out Obstacle's team video on our YouTube channel! They introduce their team, challenge and solutions.

Challenge: Greenhouse Challenge

Check out Lux Natura's team video on our YouTube channel! They introduce their team, challenge and solutions.

Team Infinity worked on exploring and mapping Martian lava tubes on their 10cr course. They introduce their team and solutions on our YouTube channel!

Challenge: Emergency Challenge

We are taking part in the Emergency Challenge. That means that we have to discover objects on an unknown terrain and find the shortest path to collect them. Using daemon orange car, brute-force way for calculating shortest path, triangulation to calculate accurate coordinations and a good software for mapping we’re going to do it with ease. We’re still experimenting and gathering knowledge to improve our solutions.

Challenge: Emergency Challenge

We are Machine X and we’re designing a remote control robot, that’ll go from point A to point B. Our challenge requires us to determine the location of the robot at an unknown area and find the shortest route between certain points. We’ve been developing new ideas for mapping, but our current equipment consists of a remotely controlled car, lasers and different kinds of cameras. We’ve done knowledge capture online, through experiments and by putting our smart minds together. During the course we’ve faced several challenges, to which we’ve searched solutions together.

Challenge: Emergency Challenge

Our task is to develop a system that can identify possible objects in an unknown area, and then define the shortest path from starting point through all the required points and back. We were working on many different ideas such as using mirrors or lasers, but it wasn’t working. Now we are developing the idea of using reference images with known distances to compare with the new images we take during the competition. This is our first approach on how the system should work, but the final goal is to develop a software that can utilize the reference lines live, just like the car park assistance cameras. We used a car with a camera located 30 cm on top of it. A camera in that position provides a better field of view without making the system unstable.

Challenge: Greenhouse Challenge

Our team is dealing with the Greenhouse Challenge. In this challenge we need to collect light from different angles, transport it through 30cm of regolith and spread the light as homogenously as possible, simulating the conditions on Mars, where growing plants is a challenge. Our team has studied light distribution techniques and methodologies to concentrate as much light as possible. We have implemented our prototype which utilizes several lenses, optical fiber and reflectors.

Challenge: Greenhouse Challenge

Our team name is Grasshopper. In our challenge we have to collect and guide sunlight to a greenhouse with plants under the surface of regolith. For this, we are using spherical mirrors, that can be printed with a 3D-printer and then vacuum covered with reflective material. To guide light through the surface we will use small strips of acrylic since they can transmit light based on total internal reflection. We already printed the mold for the spherical mirror and also tested strips of acrylic.

Challenge: Greenhouse Challenge

Our team works on daylighting the greenhouses located under the Martian soil. We are working on a passive system of sunlight concentrating lenses and cones to provide consistent luminosity for the plants during all the sunlit time. The challenge of transporting the light through the soil is resolved with the use of reflective light tubes and optical fibers. The basic research and experimenting to find the most efficient solution is conducted with cheap everyday materials, and the simplicity of setting up the final system is also one of our main objectives.

Challenge: Mars Suit Challenge

Our challenge is to design and create a space suit that allows great mobility, has great puncture resistance and keeps the pulse of the suit's user low. We’ve used materials available in our workshop such as tarp and rubber mat as well as old sports equipment. Through the course we’ve been working as a team to design and build the suit as well as participate in the course activities such as the showrooms and competitions. We decided to pursue a modular design that uses protective "armor" pieces that are held together by outer sleeve. A feature discussed was the usage of wheels or continuous track to help movement when laying down. We decided to give up on wheels since the minimal improvement in movement wouldn't make up for the added weight.

Challenge: Mars Suit Challenge

Our team’s goal is to build a Mars-proof spacesuit prototype. Our team consists of four physiotherapy students and one brisk high school student. The objective is to build a functional and practical suit that helps the astronaut carry 20 kilos of life support through an obstacle course. In addition, the suit needs to be puncture proof because of microasteroids. We also need to acknowledge the fact that the contestant’s heart rate cannot go over 80% of their maximum. Our team competes against other teams on the obstacle course, where our strengths are high-performance teamwork and social skills.

Challenge: Mars Suit Challenge

Our team Space Suit Up is tackling the challenge of space suit design. Our team has only recently started working on this task but has already been experimenting and creating some solutions. We have, for example, tried and tested the simple idea of using a construction mask to eliminate fogging in the helmet. Since then we’ve done further investigation and added changes and improvements. We continue solving the challenge of space suit design.

Ellictricity is designing a Behaviour Change Campaign for saving energy in the Student Housing Company Joensuun Elli’s apartments. The team has only recently started working on this challenge, but has already been creating some behaviour changing solutions and doing essential research. They are, for example, planning to use a forum website, an app or face to face interaction as tools to instruct and motivate the residents to change their behaviour.

Rush-B is also tackling the problem of reducing energy used in Joensuun Elli’s apartment buildings. They started their Epic Challenge journey in the spring of 2018, but are already working on efficient solutions. Much like the other teams dealing with this challenge, they have studied phenomena in e.g. social psychology  and energy consumption. They’ve been looking at solving the problem with energy-efficient technology combined with social incentives and sanctions.

Green Apple Explosion 2.0 is likewise working on their Behaviour Change Campaign to make the students in Joensuu a bit more energy-efficient. The team started the course at the beginning of 2018. They made a field study in new Elli apartments and interviewed a marketing expert – a teacher of the subject at Karelia UAS. Since then there have been changes in the composition of the group: two Epic students, who had earlier worked on designing an innovative problem solving space, joined the former three members. The renewed team has created new concepts to form their campaign.

SIF is developing an Insect Based Food Production System together with their sponsor, Finnish insect growing company EntoCube. This team started the Epic Challenge course in spring of 2018. They are designing their system for Earth conditions, but are working on making it Mars-proof, too. Currently the team is studying existing solutions based on the materials provided by EntoCube and visiting cricket farms in Finland.

NewCoMer worked on designing a Dust-free Spacesuit. The challenge was to prohibit the dangerous Martian dust from sticking to the spacesuit and getting inside the habitat. Among many other solutions, the team created an Electrodynamic Dust Cleaner, which would remove the dust from the suit. In 2017, their concept was presented to Swamp Works experts at Kennedy Space Center. Early on in the program, the team launched their own business development project and participated in business idea competitions

CSM worked on Mars-Earth-Mars problem solving. As an output of their 9-month work, the team created an Educational Mars Escape room. The concept immersed the participants into problem solving, and the goal was to ‘Escape to Learn’. In only ten minutes, participants could learn multiple skills such as programming, problem solving, teamwork and literacy and learn more about natural science and Mars. The Mars Escape Room was opened for the public in Joensuu at an event called SciFest, which hosted over 7000 visitors.

BioMars tackled the challenge of Sustainable Food Production on Mars. After nine months of experimenting with many different concepts, BioMars created a Closed Ecosystem of Insect, Algae and Plants. The solution attracted the Finnish insect growing company EntoCube to sponsor the team. Moreover, the team managed to organize an event called Marsraisers and ask the public’s opinion about their insect food specialties. Later on, they even served their insect muffins to Astronaut Dr. Camarda – in person. The Epic Challenge program inspired students from this team to launch their own business development projects during and after the course.

RedSandbox developed solutions for Improved Earth-Mars Communication and Problem Solving. The team created an augmented reality headset called the Solution Ghost. The headset would show recorded hand movements of an expert, which would guide the actions of the astronaut. Besides its application for Mars, this prototype attracted the interest of a regional company Arcusys as a useful tool in education and training. In the Marsraisers event, the public had chance to try out a VR-headset and a prototype of the Solution Ghost. After the course, Arcusys employed three of these Epic challenge students.