Mechanic Space Drive (MSD)

Our Project provides a solution of the challenge “The Memory-Maker”. Consists in develop a mechanical storage of memory, who has adapt to the extreme conditions of planet Venus.

In past missions it has been achieved take there a Roberts to the planet, but these ones not only have problems to survive, but also the extreme characteristic of Venus make hard basic tasks like the data capture because every kind of electronic memory it is totally damaged, caused by the high temperatures in this atmosphere. This is the problem which our project focus, in the replace of the electronic storage method to some mechanical, and make it difficult to being damaged by environmental issues.

Our work consist in the engraving of data in discs of titanium slightly covered with graphite, removing the graphite in bits we store the information in binary code, exposing the titanium. These bits are going to be read and traduced by an optic sensor. The gravening will be written by a tungsten carbide tip. The writing system will be made with relays (who can be replaced for logic gates) being receptors of the information from the outside and being in charge of translating the digital data to mechanical data. The principal information that we want to get it is quantitative data, information that can be given in numbers. Our prototype has managed to comply the imposed parameters, having just between 22-24kg of mass from the 25kg imposed, in a minor space than 1 meter- 1 meter – 25 centimeters of space required and, with a capacity of 80 disc per unit (with a memory of 0.79 megabytes per disc), is being able to engrave 63.2 megabytes of memory of the only 1 megabyte required.