Hello! I am new. (And I need some help, please!)

[sir_launcelot]

How to Motorize the Mars Rover

I am looking for some suggestions.

My daughter is building the Mars Rover set (go here for the details: http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=98222) for a presentation at school and I told her I would help make it operate by remote control with one of the power function kits. Problem is that it is a lot more complex than I thought. (I have no experience at the expert level building.

(No building the rover is not part of the project, she is doing it as an additional part of her presentation on Rovers).

I think I can maybe get it moving with a remote, receiver and simple motor attached to one wheel, but I do not have any idea how to do the steering and don’t know how to move any of the other functions (camera, antenna, robotic arm). see

So, to steer, I use a servo?

How do I operate the other things, more servos?

And to move things slowly, do I need complex gearing? (I was looking at the SBrick which might work.

I saw a few designed steering racks and chassis on Ebay, some simple, some pretty complex.

Would I be better off buying another set that has a chassis and steering and drive designed to work with motors and then build it and adapt the Rover to it?

Any suggestions to help me figure out what I need to do and what to buy to easily make this work would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

[Actor Builder]

I'm not an expert but if it doesn't have to be an EXACT replica of the Mars Rover, I would recommend changing the six wheels to be two tank treads. One on either side. That would be the easiest to motorize and for your daughter (Or anyone) to control.

Besides that, I don't know. If nobody else responds to this post, make a topic in the Technic thread or something. They can help. They're smart.