The goal of this project was to design a prototype that should be an autonomous, scaled-down proof of concept that is capable of extinguishing a fire and navigating terrain such as sand, gravel, and emptied pits, in order to save the lives of at-risk civilians and deliver food. The device must be land-based and be transportable by a human, limiting the size and mass of the prototype.
The resulting device met all criteria and constraints, aside from exceeding the budget and limiting reliability due to issues with the drivetrain. Throughout the project, the team at Lera Inc. learned the importance of time management, priority shifting, problem isolation, and frequent communication. In the future, the team will work to appropriately update project scope in a timely fashion and increase the frequency of team meetings with stakeholders.