EPFL Xplore is a student-led space robotics project from EPFL, part of the MAKE initiative in Switzerland. Our mission is to leverage project-based learning in the training of engineers at EPFL and to step into the highest level of development and achievement in the field of space robotics, by collaborating with research laboratories and the industry. As part of our project-based learning mission, we build rovers to participate in international competitions such as the annual European Rover Challenge. The team won the 3rd place overall at the on-site edition of the ERC 2021 and the 2nd place overall one year later at the ERC 2022. It also got awarded excellency awards for the navigation, science and probing & collection tasks. The team for 2023 consists of 50 members coming from several engineering faculties at EPFL. Their main fields of expertise are microengineering, mechanical engineering, computer science and electrical engineering. Xplore benefits from the support of two mentors : one robotic systems engineer for the Lunar rover VIPER (NASA, Intelligent Robotics group) and a Rover Software Science Instrument Integration engineer (NASA, Ames Research center). Partners also share their expertise with the team through workshops, design reviews and sprint reviews: ELCA , a Swiss IT company with which Xplore collaborates through the definition of joint internship/master thesis topics and the organization of workshops on topics such as DevSecOps, Software Engineering best practices and Software security. APCO, a Swiss aerospace company that develops mechanical and electromechanical equipment for space, energy and industry. APCO engineers collaborate to provide design and engineering consulting to the students at Xplore.
At EPFL Xplore, we start from ideas and build upon them. We foster environments where people are free to have their own approach in solving complex problems.

Main sponsor: EPFL, Maxon
Platinum sponsors: ELCA, APCO Technologies SA
Gold sponsor: Logitech, Forum EPFL
Silver sponsors: aisler, Mars Society