ARDITO, a modular technology demonstrator for robotic planetary surface exploration and operational support: an overview

This paper presents ARDITO, a modular technology demonstrator designed for robotic planetary surface exploration and operational support. Developed by the DIANA student team at Politecnico di Torino, ARDITO aims to serve as a versatile platform for research and educational applications. The rover's design emphasizes modularity, allowing for the asynchronous development of components, subsystems, and payloads. ARDITO's architecture is inspired by real space mission requirements, ensuring that students gain hands-on experience with spacecompatible methodologies and technologies. The rover features a rocker-bogie locomotion system, a distributed electronic architecture, and a variety of payload configurations tailored for different mission scenarios. This paper details the system design, development process, and the educational impact of the ARDITO project. While ARDITO has achieved its initial goals, further advancements in materials, redundancy, and reliability are required to make it a viable candidate for actual space missions. The project's emphasis on modularity will be instrumental in overcoming these challenges and advancing the capabilities of robotic planetary exploration.