Students from remote Indian village come third in NASA's Rover Challenge

Students from remote Indian village come third in NASA's Rover Challenge

A group of students operating out of a remote village in Odisha, east India, have come third in NASA's Human Exploration Rover Challenge (HERC).

A group of students operating out of a remote village in Odisha, east India, have come third in NASA's Human Exploration Rover Challenge (HERC).

The challenge requires students from across the world to design, build and test a human-powered rover on tough terrain.

The team from Navonmesh Prasar Foundation in Bhubaneswar and their foldable rover stood out from the rest of the competition.

Footage shows the team completing their buggy before testing it out in their village.

Anil Pradhan selected 10 candidates from 800 to join his team which included two school dropouts.

They designed a foldable rover that can carry two astronauts in a 5x5x5 feet space.

Pradhan said: “They had to acquire technical expertise, design components, find vendors to manufacture and assemble the rover in less than eight months.

"The rover’s chain that does not come loose under stress, smooth steering, ability to traverse steep terrain without toppling, impressive soil and liquid extraction mechanism won it the distinction." Pradhan, who graduated with an engineering degree in 2017, has been working to improve education facilities in remote Indian villages.

This footage was filmed on March 11.