WVU team secures second place in out-of-this-world international robotics competition

Team Mountaineers took second place for the second year in a row in the University Rover Challenge finals this past weekend held in Hanksville, Utah (Photo supplied).

Team Mountaineers have once again demonstrated their engineering prowess, clinching second place while representing West Virginia University and the Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources on the global stage at the 2025 University Rover Challenge.

Story by Kaley LaQuea, Marketing Strategist
Photos supplied

Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

Held at the Mars Desert Research Station in Hanksville, Utah, this prestigious competition drew 114 teams from 15 countries, all vying to design and build the next generation of Mars rovers. Team Mountaineers were one of 39 teams from 10 countries to compete in the finals this past weekend.

This achievement maintains Team Mountaineers position as top contenders, placing in the top two for the last three years. In 2023, WVU secured first place. Under the guidance of faculty advisor Yu Gu, the team embarked on a bold design strategy for the 2025 competition, focusing on refining last year’s knowledge while fixing key issues.

“With over a decade of growth and continued success, the robotic competition teams at WVU have become magnets for passionate and talented students to make friends, share ideas, and work on cool projects together,” said Gu, distinguished alumni professor in the Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering department. “This year, under the outstanding leadership of Connor and Jalen, the students represented WVU well against teams from around the world. Students on the team overcame numerous challenges during this week, but stayed calm, helped each other, and solved problems as they arose. This real-world engineering experience is what makes robotics competition an invaluable educational experience for students.”

The team's willingness to take risks and push the boundaries of design was instrumental in this year’s placement. Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering department students Connor Mann, Sam Blair, Daniel McDonald and Garrett Schuehler worked alongside Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering students Jalen Beeman, Elijah Motter, Sam Moody, Connor Herfurth, Matthew Knospe, Bill Streck and Izaak Whetsell led by the team’s Chief Technology Officer Jalen Beeman and CEO Connor Mann. 

“The most rewarding part was seeing our hard work and dedication pay off when stacked against the best in the world,” Beeman said. “Robotics is hard, so we’ve also been trying to lower the barrier for entry to the competition by open-sourcing our designs. At the competition, we had the chance to speak to several teams that used our designs which was very rewarding.”

The URC consists of four rigorous missions: Science, Delivery, Equipment Servicing and Autonomous Navigation. Demonstrating excellent technical acumen, the WVU team excelled across these challenges while demonstrating versatility and the rover’s 20% increased speed compared to last year’s. In the Science Mission, Team Mountaineers showcased exceptional skill in analyzing soil samples for signs of microbial life, earning a score of 96 and tying with the team from Missouri University of Science and Technology, which earned first place overall this year.

The team implemented a new method of life detection and significantly increased the rover arm’s range of motion this year—showcasing precise navigation and earning first place in the delivery mission, which tested the rover's ability to transport objects over challenging terrain. Even though the team encountered communication losses during the Equipment Servicing mission, they successfully simulated challenging tasks like delivering science samples and performing mechanical operations and scored in the top ten overall. 

“Prior to competing, our biggest challenge was reconstructing and testing the rover upon arrival in Utah,” Mann said. “The Delivery mission went very well for us this year with all systems performing as anticipated. For the Autonomous Navigation mission the system performed above expectation, placing us second overall for the mission.”

The final Autonomous Navigation Mission assessed the rover's ability to traverse obstacles without human intervention, a task at which the team excelled, earning them the second-highest score in this category.

As Team Mountaineers continues to build on their legacy, it remains committed to advancing the field of robotics and inspiring the next generation of engineers. Their participation in the URC not only showcases their technical abilities but also highlights the importance of collaboration, innovation and leadership in achieving success. To learn more about Team Mountaineers and their journey in the University Rover Challenge, visit the official WVU Robotics website: https://urc.orgs.wvu.edu/

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