Role
Independent capstone project by Michael Dattolo, with faculty mentorship.
CAPSTONE · ROBOTICS CONCEPT + PHYSICAL PROTOTYPE
M.A.R.T.I.A.N. Construction Robot
My 2024 Johnson & Wales capstone explored a robotic approach to assessing terrain and supporting underground habitat construction on Mars.
Stage
Concept development plus a constructed prototype used to demonstrate sensing and mobility ideas.
Recognition
Technology & Innovation recognition at the 2024 JWU Student Research, Design & Innovation Symposium.
THE PROBLEM
How could a compact robot help prepare construction sites before people arrive?
The project focused on reducing direct astronaut involvement in early habitat construction by proposing a robot that could assess terrain and support excavation/construction tasks using local material.
MY CONTRIBUTION
Concept development, CAD, prototype integration and presentation.
I developed the capstone concept and physical prototype. JWU’s published coverage documents LiDAR and an Intel depth-sensing camera used for site-assessment functions. The exact final leg configuration conflicts across older portfolio copy and university coverage, so this page avoids repeating an unverified leg count.
EVIDENCE
Concept / CAD
Visual development of the robot architecture and construction workflow.
Capstone presentation
Presentation material showing the project concept and intended workflow.
Workflow illustration
Illustration of one stage in the proposed construction sequence; this should be read as a design proposal, not a field-tested Mars process.
OUTCOME / LIMITATIONS
A documented prototype and award-winning capstone—not a validated autonomous construction system.
The project was presented publicly at JWU and received Technology & Innovation recognition. Older site copy described full ROS 2/Gazebo validation, topology-optimized structures and end-to-end autonomous performance; those claims are omitted here until project files can substantiate them.