Team Polar & TNO: Road to Antarctica
Walking across ice fields in temperatures of -40 degrees Celsius with wind speeds of 185 km per hour. These are just two of the challenges of doing research in Antarctica. Team Polar, which consists of a group of students from Eindhoven University of Technology, is developing an autonomous vehicle to make research at the South Pole more sustainable, affordable and efficient. TNO is helping the team make their Ice Cube Research Rover. Follow its journey in a series of videos: Road to Antarctica.
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Why Antarctica?
Climate change is threatening our future. To face this crisis head on, we need to understand how climate change works. This can only be achieved by doing research in unspoilt places like Antarctica and the North Pole. Unfortunately, current research is inefficient and expensive because of scientists’ reliance on large vehicles that run on kerosene. Also, 80% of Antarctica hasn’t been explored yet because of the dangerous terrain there.
Team Polar's Ice Cube will be able to help make research sustainable, affordable and autonomous.
The Rover will be solar-powered, which will reduce emissions and minimise the research footprint. The next prototype version of the Ice Cube will navigate autonomously, allowing researchers to collect data without entering the terrain in question.
Meet the team
Team Polar consists of 35 students and is supported by various partners and experts. Read more about the team on the Team Polar website.
‘It’s really a new field we’re exploring. The last people we know of that did this was NASA back in the 2000s.’
The Rover: an all-rounder
The Rover has to be an all-rounder. For example, it has to withstand the rugged terrain of the South Pole, drive and steer itself and generate and store its own energy.
This can only be achieved with advanced technology. Like solar panels that repel ice and snow and heated batteries that enable the Rover to make its way through the frozen landscape.
Pushing technological boundaries
The Rover’s success will depend on the students pushing the boundaries of existing technology.
TNO supports Team Polar by sharing its knowledge about a number of technologies, including:
The students also have access to various labs and facilities, like climate chambers in which temperatures can be dropped down to well below zero.
‘As TNO, we’re not just standing on the sidelines. Our team of experts is helping Team Polar turn their wildest engineering dreams into reality.’
Contact us
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Magnus Moore
Functie:Business DeveloperMy name is Magnus Moore and I work as a Business Developer in the Mobility and Built Environment Department of TNO. My ambition is to help governments and organizations work together to design and realize a safe and sustainable transportation environment in Europe and beyond.
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Standplaats:Den Haag - New Babylon
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Email:Email Magnus
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