Kenesto, a leading provider of cloud-based collaboration and documents management solutions, has played a pivotal role in supporting the University of Waterloo Robotics Team (UWRT) in their Pursuit of university rover challenge. The team, which participates in The University Rover Challenge (URC) is the world’s premier robotics competition for college students. Held annually in the desert of southern Utah in the United States, URC challenges student teams to design and build the next generation of Mars rovers that will one day work alongside astronauts exploring the Red Planet.
has leveraged Kenesto’s platform to streamline their design processes, enhance collaboration, and achieve significant milestones.
A Passion for Real-World Robotics
Founded in 2009, UWRT is a team of 30 dedicated students passionate about developing tangible robotics solutions that can address real-world challenges. Their annual participation in the URC involves designing and building a Mars Rover composed of five major subsystems. The team continuously iterates on their rover, incorporating improvements based on previous competitions.
Prior to Kenesto, the team relied on GrabCAD Workbench for CAD and file management. However, the transition to Kenesto has significantly enhanced their workflow. The team now utilizes SolidWorks for CAD modeling, with Kenesto enabling a top-down design approach that facilitates efficient dimension definition and updates. Additionally, Kenesto stores crucial team configuration and template files, ensuring a smooth onboarding process for new members.
Beyond CAD: Simulation and Analysis
UWRT has also integrated Kenesto into their simulation and analysis processes. The team employs SimulationX for multibody and multiphysics simulations, collaborating seamlessly on modifying sim files for their 6-axis robotic arm. Furthermore, Ansys is used for finite element analysis (FEA) on designed parts, with files shared on Kenesto Drive.
As Saheed, the Mechanical Subteam Lead, explained, “Kenesto has greatly assisted the team in our ideation, design, and organization of our mechanical subsystems, Through Kenesto, we were successfully able to collaborate on modifying sim files for our 6 Axis Robotic arm from a single source.” The team regularly uses Kenesto’s services to train new members, design new parts for their rover, and maintain a well-organized project structure. The platform’s intuitive file structure and robust storage capabilities have streamlined the team’s workflows and facilitated efficient collaboration.
Key Achievements with Kenesto’s Support
UWRT’s collaboration with Kenesto has proven to be invaluable in their pursuit of excellence in robotics allowing the team to efficiently design, collaborate, and analyze their work As they continue to innovate and push the boundaries of robotics, Kenesto will undoubtedly remain a vital partner in their journey.
