Pink-powered rover takes on Mars and sexism in STEM

The Australian team behind the striking robot hopes it will encourage discussions about the lack of diversity in robotics.

Hanksville, Utah, population 162, hosted dozens of teams in late May for one of the largest collegiate robotics contests in the world. The University Rover Challenge sets the future generation of space scientists against one another over the course of three days in an area of the southern Utah desert selected for its resemblance to Mars. The team has recently been featured in Nature.

Second place went to the Monash Nova Rover team from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, who expertly drove its robot over the harsh Utah landscape in search of alien life, supplies for the astronauts, and parts to fix the mock lander.

The team's engineering prowess is impressive, but this year there was something else that made them stand out. Half of the team's leadership was female in a predominantly male field, and their bright pink rover, dubbed Waratah after a native Australian flower, stands out in a sea of black and silver rivals.

To make a bold statement, the Monash students landed on a brilliant concept - why not use the rover itself to start conversations? Why not turn their 2023 competition space vehicle from their traditional grey and orange to a shade of shocking pink?

Co-team leads Rebecca Leith, a Bachelor of Science and Engineering student and Chloe Chang a Bachelor of Engineering undergraduate spearheaded the campaign.

Rebecca left a career as a dancer with the Queensland Ballet for dual degrees in chemistry and engineering and has been surprised that robotics requires the same coordination and grit that dancing does.

Finding herself in the minority at university was a surprise particularly since attended an all-girls high school.

“I was often one of only a handful of girls in my classes,” Rebecca reflects. “I thought, ‘If I’m going to speak up, I’d better say something smart.’”

The team has recently been featured in Nature. Find out more about the Bachelor of Science at Monash.

Follow the links to explore and learn more about Monash Nova Rover and the Monash Student Teams Initiative.