UofG student team scoop top awards at national space robot competition
Published: 19 August 2025
A team of University of Glasgow engineering students have won a major national competition for their efforts to design a robot rover capable of exploring the surface of Mars.
A team of University of Glasgow engineering students have won a major national competition for their efforts to design a robot rover capable of exploring the surface of Mars.
A team drawn from members the GU Orbit student satellite society picked up the top prize at the 2024-25 Olympus Rover Trials, beating out teams from 14 universities across the UK.
In addition to winning the overall competition, the team, called Banana Island, also received awards for Best Critical Design Review and Best Innovation.
Team members (l-r) Shuo Feng, Eric Dawe, Phoenix Nelson, and Zlatan Čeljo
The competition, organised by UK Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (UKSEDS), was held at RAL Space in Didcot, Oxfordshire on Sunday 20th July.
RAL Space, part of STFC’s Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, is home to state-of-the-art facilities for the design, build, and test of space hardware and instruments.
The Olympus Rover Trials simulate the design and deployment challenges faced in planetary exploration missions. Teams are tasked with designing, building and operating a research rover capable of remote terrain exploration and imaging, which are key elements of real-world missions for future Mars exploration.
The competition also includes a vibration test to evaluate each rover’s ability to withstand the stresses of launch conditions.
The 2025 challenge was based on the TERRA (Terrain Exploration and Remote Reconnaissance for Analysis) mission concept. Each team’s rovers were required to explore a crater-like environment, navigate varying terrain, and capture high-resolution images of designated points of geological interest.
The Banana Island team’s rover, which featured a robotic arm that improved camera positioning and data capture in constrained conditions, met all mission objectives. It successfully completed a simulated launch vibration test, traversed a wet and uneven terrain under difficult weather conditions, and accurately located and imaged QR codes representing geological targets.
Ana Cornejo, vice-president of GU Orbit, said: “We’re pleased and proud to have taken the overall prize at the competition, as well as two further prizes for our performance in the design and innovation categories. The membership of the team included students from mechanical, electronic, aerospace and software engineering backgrounds, and everyone had an important role to play in our success.”
Dr Matteo Ceriotti of the James Watt School of Engineering is GU Orbit’s academic mentor. He said: “Congratulations to all members of the Banana Island team for their outstanding work in the Olympus Rover Trials, and for representing the University of Glasgow with excellence. The judges noted the team’s applied skills, thoughtful design and effective collaboration, and it’s great to see them earn national recognition at this level.”
Zlatan Čeljo holds the team's rover, while Phoenix Nelson holds the prizes for Best CDR and Best Innovation
The members of the prizewinning team were Zlatan Čeljo, Matthew Bishop, and Reya Mistry in Mechanics and Zhijian Huang, Shuo Feng, Eric Dawe, and Phoenix Nelson in Electronics and Software. Eric Dawe played the key role of Systems Engineer, Kashika Tata was the Vice Team Lead, and Phoenix Nelson served as Team Lead.
First published: 19 August 2025