Abstract
Imagine building the first generation of a robotic vehicle that could one day help prepare the Moon before astronauts and infrastructure arrive.
Before future lunar missions can rely on robotic systems, engineers must answer a fundamental question:
Can a rover safely traverse rough terrain while remaining stable, controllable, and predictable?
During this three-month sprint, FUTURA will develop the first proof-of-concept of its proprietary rover mobility platform by combining:
- a Mission Control & Mobility Simulation Platform
- a functional four-wheel rover prototype
The Mission Control platform will allow operators to drive a virtual rover while monitoring engineering telemetry and evaluating mobility performance across different terrain conditions. The platform will also serve as the foundation for future autonomous navigation, terrain assessment, and remote rover operations.
The same software architecture will later be used to operate the physical rover during outdoor testing, allowing simulated results to be compared with real-world experiments.
The goal is not to build a lunar rover, but to validate the engineering foundations of FUTURA's future robotic systems for lunar terrain operations.
Rather than developing a complete lunar rover, this sprint focuses on validating the engineering foundations required before more advanced robotic capabilities can be developed.
Problem
Future lunar missions will require robotic systems capable of safely operating across rough, unpredictable terrain.
Before adding autonomous navigation, scientific payloads, or excavation tools, engineers must first validate something even more fundamental:
Can the rover move reliably?
Can it maintain traction?
Can it climb obstacles?
Can it turn safely?
Can its behavior be accurately predicted through simulation?
Today, answering these questions requires expensive hardware iterations.
Without simulation, each design change requires building another prototype.
Without physical validation, simulations cannot be trusted.
A development workflow that integrates both simulation and experimental validation significantly reduces engineering risk while accelerating rover development.
Solution
FUTURA will develop a proof-of-concept mobility platform composed of two complementary systems.
1. Mission Control & Mobility simulation platform
A software platform that combines rover teleoperation, engineering telemetry, terrain visualization, terrain characterization, and physics-based mobility simulation.
The simulator evaluates engineering parameters including:
- rover mass
- wheel diameter
- wheelbase
- center of gravity
- wheel torque
- traction
- wheel slip
- slope angle
- obstacle negotiation
- turning radius
- energy consumption
- ground clearance
- approach/departure angle
The Mission Control interface will allow operators to:
- drive the virtual rover
- visualize terrain
- monitor engineering telemetry
- compare different rover configurations
- evaluate mobility performance
This platform will become FUTURA's primary environment for rover design, simulation, teleoperation and future mobility validation.
2. Functional four-wheel rover prototype
FUTURA will build a compact four-wheel robotic platform specifically designed to validate the simulator.
The rover will include:
- Four independently driven wheels
- Differential steering
- Embedded control electronics
- Wireless communications
- Modular chassis
- Expandable sensor architecture
The prototype will be tested on natural outdoor terrain near Buenos Aires.
Whenever possible, the same Mission Control interface used during simulation will also control the physical rover.
Validation
The primary objective of the sprint is to experimentally validate the mobility model.
Simulation results will be compared against physical experiments measuring:
Mobility
- Maximum traversable slope
- Turning radius
- Obstacle negotiation capability
Vehicle Performance
- Wheel slip estimation
- Battery endurance
- Teleoperation latency
Model Validation
- Simulation vs. real-world correlation
- Mobility repeatability
The objective is to quantify how accurately the simulation predicts the real rover's behavior under identical operating conditions.
The comparison between simulation and field testing will guide future improvements to FUTURA's mobility algorithms and mechanical architecture.
Deliverables
At the end of the sprint, FUTURA will deliver:
• Mission Control user interface & mobility simulation platform
• Functional four-wheel rover prototype
• Three outdoor mobility validation campaigns
• Simulation vs. physical validation report
• Engineering documentation and validation methodology
• Public demonstration video
If project timing allows, FUTURA will also demonstrate remote rover operation, enabling members of the MoonDAO community to remotely drive the rover during a supervised field demonstration.
Benefits
This project creates a tangible robotics proof-of-concept instead of only documentation.
Benefits for MoonDAO include:
- Demonstrates the development of early-stage lunar robotic technology.
- Establishes the technological foundation for future lunar rover development within FUTURA.
- Demonstrates how simulation can reduce engineering costs.
- Creates educational content around robotics engineering.
- Provides an open demonstration of the engineering workflow used to design, simulate, and validate an early-stage rover platform.
For FUTURA, this sprint establishes the engineering foundations for future robotic systems dedicated to lunar terrain qualification.
Risks
The simulation may not perfectly reproduce real rover behavior.
Mitigation:
Compare simulated results with repeated outdoor experiments.
Mechanical integration challenges may delay prototype completion.
Mitigation:
Use commercially available components with modular architecture.
The sprint duration limits project scope.
Mitigation:
Focus exclusively on rover mobility validation, leaving autonomy, scientific instruments, and terrain characterization for future development phases.
Objectives
Develop and experimentally validate the first proof-of-concept of FUTURA's proprietary rover mobility platform.
Key Results
- Complete one Mission Control & mobility simulation platform.
- Build one functional four-wheel rover prototype.
- Conduct at least three outdoor mobility validation campaigns.
- Produce one technical validation report comparing simulation and experimental data.
- Publish one public demonstration video.
Responsible
All.
Validation Metrics
The rover platform will be evaluated using quantitative engineering metrics, including:
- Maximum traversable slope
- Turning radius
- Obstacle negotiation capability
- Mobility repeatability
- Wheel slip estimation
- Battery endurance
- Teleoperation latency
- Simulation vs. real-world correlation
Intellectual Property
This project supports the development of FUTURA's proprietary rover mobility platform.
The following technologies developed during and beyond this sprint will remain the intellectual property of FUTURA:
- Rover mechanical architecture
- Electronics architecture
- Mission Control & Mobility Simulation Platform software
- Mobility modeling and optimization methods
- Future autonomy software
- Future lunar terrain qualification technologies
MoonDAO will receive public project updates, engineering documentation associated with the project deliverables, the final validation report, and a public demonstration of the proof of concept.
Community Demonstration
At the conclusion of the sprint, FUTURA will host a live public demonstration showcasing both the Mission Control platform and the rover prototype.
Subject to technical readiness and safety constraints, members of the MoonDAO community will have the opportunity to remotely operate the rover during a supervised field test using the Mission Control interface.
Team (Table A)
Project Lead
Sky Cielo Lavergne (Discord: @futureinspace)
CEO & Co-Founder, FUTURA
Project Lead responsible for project coordination, overall direction, systems architecture, community updates, budget management, final reporting, and serving as the primary representative before MoonDAO.
Deliverables
- Systems architecture & product vision
- Mission Control concept
- Project coordination
- Technical documentation
- Final validation report
Initial Team
Gerardo García (Discord: @Gerardo_1821)
CTO & Co-Founder
Role
Technical Lead
Responsibilities
- Develop the rover mobility platform architecture
- Lead the Mission Control simulation development
- Design and integrate the rover electronics
- Support field validation campaigns
- Define the rover reference architecture
- Review engineering decisions
- Support technical documentation
Deliverables
- Rover architecture
- Engineering review
- Technical documentation
Tomás Olaciregui (Discord: @Olita369)
COO & Co-Founder
Role
Operations & Project Management
Responsibilities
- Develop project planning and milestones
- Support documentation and reporting
- Coordinate future analog field campaign planning
- Community coordination
Deliverables
- Project roadmap
- Milestone tracking
- Operational documentation
- Final report support
Team Bios
Sky Cielo Lavergne — Project Lead, Systems Architecture, Project Management, Robotics
Founder and CEO of FUTURA, with a background in electronics, robotics, information technology and space industry. Previously worked at Epic Aerospace and studied Systems Analysis at ORT, along with Electronics and Robotics at CETIA. Passionate about space exploration and emerging technologies, she co-founded FUTURA with the vision of enabling sustainable lunar operations.
Socials
Gerardo García — Technical Lead, Robotics & Electronics
CTO and Co-Founder of FUTURA. Electronics Engineer specializing in avionics, embedded systems, firmware, and control systems. Previously worked at Epic Aerospace and VENG, contributing to R&D programs involving avionics architectures, PCB design, power electronics, real-time systems, and mission-critical firmware development. His experience in aerospace-grade electronics and complex engineering systems forms the technical foundation behind FUTURA's robotic technologies for future Artemis-era lunar operations.
Socials
- linkedin.com/in/gerardo-garcia-5a787812/?skipRedirect=true
Tomás Olaciregui — Operations & Documentation
COO and Co-Founder of FUTURA. Responsible for operations, with a background in Business Administration and Management from Universidad del CEMA, with experience in consulting, sales, operations, and business development. Combining strategic thinking with a passion for technology and innovation, Tomás co-founded FUTURA to help transform ambitious lunar technologies into scalable and sustainable ventures.
Socials
Timeline (90 days)
| Day | Milestone |
| 0 | Proposal approved |
| 10 | Rover architecture finalized |
| 20 | Mission Control platform architecture completed |
| 35 | Mission Control simulation platform operational |
| 50 | Rover mechanical assembly completed |
| 65 | Electronics integration and teleoperation |
| 75 | Outdoor mobility testing |
| 85 | Simulation vs. prototype validation |
| 90 | Final report and public demonstration |
Budget (Table C)
| Description | Amount (USD) | Justification |
|---|---|---|
| Rover mobility system (5× 24V planetary gearmotors with encoders) | $1,000 | Procurement of five industrial-grade gearmotors (four for the rover and one spare) to validate the four-wheel mobility platform and ensure redundancy during the sprint. |
| Motor controllers & power electronics | $350 | High-current motor drivers, power distribution board, DC/DC converters, protection circuitry, connectors, wiring, and electrical integration required to safely operate the rover. |
| 24V Li-Ion battery system & charger | $600 | 24V battery pack with Battery Management System (BMS) and dedicated charger to power the complete rover during field validation campaigns. |
| Mechanical structure & drivetrain | $650 | Aluminum chassis, wheels, shafts, couplers, bearings, mechanical hardware, and drivetrain components for the rover mobility platform. |
| Embedded computing & communications | $350 | Onboard computing (Raspberry Pi 5 or equivalent), ESP32 microcontroller, wireless communications hardware, and remote teleoperation capability for field testing and community demonstrations. |
| Sensors & instrumentation | $250 | IMU, wheel encoders, power monitoring, cameras, and supporting sensors required to collect data for simulation validation and rover performance analysis. |
| Fabrication & prototyping | $500 | CNC machining, 3D printing, laser cutting, custom brackets, machining services, assembly materials, and iterative mechanical improvements throughout development. |
| Field testing, documentation & contingency | $900 | Transportation to terrestrial analog test sites near Buenos Aires, replacement parts, consumables, safety equipment, technical documentation, demonstration video production, and contingency for unexpected hardware failures during testing. |
|
| Total Requested | $4,600 USD | |
Budget Note: The requested budget is allocated exclusively to project-specific hardware, fabrication, testing, and validation activities required to deliver the proof-of-concept during the three-month sprint. Any proprietary engineering work, software development, and project management efforts are contributed in-kind by the FUTURA team.
This sprint represents the first engineering milestone in FUTURA's long-term roadmap toward robotic systems for future lunar terrain operations.