Wednesday, July 30 rover test, Lower Base Camp

Our NASA team hiked down to Lower Base Camp this morning to uncrate, and test, our Carnegie Mellon University rover.  Teachers are driving it "blind" as we speak, that is, they can't see the rover.  They drive it by watching a laptop wirelessly connected to the rover's dual lens camera.  It makes the rover look like Wall-E.  Teachers did troubleshooting and got the rover up and running.  Future steps for the Spaceward Bound rovers include having teachers drive the rovers ahead of them, out of their sight, into areas to explore.  For example, an ice cave may be too dangerous for a human to enter.  The rover can enter instead