Our proposal focuses on the development of the next phase of a high altitude robotic puppet that will be used to engage younger students (k-6) in real time on near space balloon missions. The…

This federal contract award is for the development of the next phase of a high altitude robotic puppet that will be used to engage younger students (K-6) in real-time on near space balloon missions. The contract was awarded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to the University of Hartford, operating through its Office of Sponsored Programs Division as Hartford College for Women. The award amount is $172,754.02 with a completion date of July 13, 2020. This award is not associated with a set-aside designation. The robotic puppet, named "HAM" for "High Altitude Monkey", is being developed through a collaborative effort between the University of Bridgeport and Vanderbilt University students, as well as the Connecticut Space Grant Consortium, to create an engaging educational experience for students participating in near space balloon missions. The project aims to leverage the University of Hartford's expertise and facilities to ensure the robotic puppet can function reliably at high altitudes and temperatures.

Our proposal focuses on the development of the next phase of a high altitude robotic puppet that will be used to engage younger students (k-6) in real time on near space balloon missions. The prototype robotic puppet has been under the development at the university of bridgeport supported by a connecticut space grant consortium (csgc)faculty seed money grant awarded to DR. Neal lewis (PI) and DR. Jani pallis (CO-PI). The university of bridgeport students already have experience with the prototype. Additionally, during the summer 2015 semester, an undergraduate mechanical engineering student at vanderbilt university (and CT resident) worked on this project with the university of bridgeport student team and DRS. Pallis and lewis. The student was responsible for the capsule design and initial capsule prototype (which looks like a mercury capsule) and the three cameras that reside on/in the balloon capsule. The robotic monkey "resides" as the payload in the capsule. University of bridgeport industrial design students designed and sketched the robot's animated motions as well as the interior of the mercury capsule (boards that look like spacecraft control panels), while UB electrical engineering graduate students have designed and built the robot's circuitry and worked with command, control, telecommunications and data. There has been significant discussion at the csgc meetings regarding collaboration and capacity building within the consortium partners. The state of connecticut is home to UTC (united technologies corporation) and its divisions pratt and whitney, utrc (united technologies research center), united technologies aerospace systems (utas). Additionally, connecticut has an additional 140 companies state-wide focused on aerospace. Prior to the sale of sikorsky from UTC to lockheed, UTC was the single highest employer of connecticut residents. Thus, the csgc feels the importance of serving as a catalysis and to contribute to the development of a pipeline of qualified, highly skilled and well-educated individuals for these connecticut aerospace employers. When the csgc became aware of the NASA usip announcement, the group believed that this would be an opportunity to build a multi-university interdisciplinary team for near space missions. UB is the only csgc affiliate conducting ballooning and small satellite development. UB works with a local children's museum (the discovery museum and planetarium in bridgeport, CT) which has a challenger center and the two groups are working on small satellite and ballooning projects together. University students developed software that runs on the museum's challenger center computers that serve as a real "mission control" for balloon flights (with a mission director, and different science stations). However from working with children we know the view from a HAB may not unfortunately enthrall a younger student for very long. And the thought was (as unusual as IT may sound), "what if the children had a little friend onboard the HAB that they could interact with?" the "friend" has become a robotic monkey (reminiscent of the early space flight days), and the robot is named after the actual chimpanzee that travelled into space, "HAM". However, this "HAM" stands for "high altitude monkey". The project has been student designed and the prototype is almost completed. We have a HAB test flight for some of the robot's motors scheduled for december 6, 2015. We see a rich educational curriculum in mission control, life sciences. Earth observation, remote sensing and history of space flight around HAM and the HAM HAB flights. The actually HAM HAB flights will be conducted several times per year as an outreach activity through the museum. The team is interested in a hasp flight because we want to ensure that the robot will function at high altitude and temperature for periods of time (in particular the longevity and continued functionality of the servo motors used in the robot). Form nress