Frankfurt Robotic Science Team (FRoST) building ARES

The Frankfurt Robotics Science Team, or “FRoST” for short, is a group of young and experienced engineers. It is located at the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences in Germany. Founded in 2018, FRoST participates in international competitions to develop the competences of its members. Another goal of FRoST is contributing to current research.

Over the years FRoST published several IEEE conference papers. The team consists of 10 to 20 part-time and full-time members, most being enrolled in the degree programmes Mechatronics and Robotics (M.Sc.), Mechanical Engineering (M.Sc.) as well as Electrical Engineering and Information Technology (B.Eng.). Our trajectory has been nothing short of remarkable, achieving 5th place finish at the European Rover Challenge 2023, accompanied by the "Best Team in Maintenance" award at ERC 2022— FRoST achieved its best result in an international competition. 

On of the current projects is the development of a new Rover Energy System (RES). The aim is to establish a decentralised power supply that enables all components of the rover “ARES” (Advanced Robotics Exploration System) to be supplied easily and in a robust way. In addition, by implementing a dedicated bus system for the RES, advanced features such as energy monitoring, remote emergency stop and charging of batteries inside the rover as well as a hot-plug function shall be realized. 

For future competitions, the team hopes to continue their success and inspire more students to pursue their passion for robotics and space technology. They are dedicated to fostering an international community of collaboration and innovation where students from diverse backgrounds can come together to learn from each other and work together to address the challenges of robotics and space. 

Within our RES system, we rely on advanced PCB technology for critical subcomponents, including: 

1. The Battery Management System (BMS): Our Battery Management System (BMS) is an advanced solution tailored for high-current applications. It excels at managing power sources by enabling high-current switching, passive balancing, and accurate voltage measurement. 
2. The Energy Monitoring and Distrubution Modules (EMDMs) Our Energy Monitoring and Distribution Modules (EMDMs) are versatile components designed to supply varying voltages to different sections of the rover. These modules possess the capability to efficiently switch loads while simultaneously providing precise current measurement, ensuring optimal power management and distribution throughout the rover's operations. 
3. Digital Emergency Switch (DES) 
4. Rover Energy System Gateway Module (RES Gateway) 

In addition to our RES, we have several other exciting PCB projects, such as: 

1. Ethernet Switch Ring Module 
2. DC-DC Converter Ring Module
3. LED Driver Ring Module
4. Motion-Core Compute Module

If you want to see more about us, we got a introduction video from our Team:

By sponsoring our project and providing the required PCBs, you would enable us to progress from the prototype stage to the implementation of a reliable and optimised RES system. In return for your generous sponsorship, we are committed to acknowledging PCBWay prominently throughout our project. This includes featuring your company logo on all PCBs, our website, and all other relevant platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram and other Social Media Platforms. Additionally, we would be more than willing to provide progress updates on our rover systems, allowing us to share our excitement and showcase the positive impact of your sponsorship on our team. 

https://frost-rover.com/ 

Thank you!