Sponsor Project Sapere — UNB Robotics Club
CIRC 2026 · August 7–10 · CSTAG

Project Sapere

UNB Robotics Club · Fredericton, NB

A fully custom rover platform built by 60+ UNB students to compete in the Canadian International Rover Competition. We've cleared the qualifier round — now we need your support to bring Sapere to the field.

60+
Active Members
200+
Hours Invested
$4.5K
Secured So Far
ROCKER-BOGIE ROCKER-BOGIE SAPERE
Sapere Rover · Top-Down Schematic
CIRC 2026 Ready
Competition
Canadian International Rover Competition
Organizer
CSTAG — Canadian Space Technology Advancement Group
Competition Dates
August 7–10, 2026
Status
✓ Qualifier Cleared

01 / What is Sapere?

A rover engineered from first principles.

Sapere is a fully custom rover platform designed by the UNB Robotics Club to compete in the Canadian International Rover Competition. We chose six core design principles governing reliability, durability, and technical execution — rooted in OPM methodology and MIT 16.842 System Design Engineering.

We've cleared the qualifier round and are now in active build phase. Every subsystem — mechanical, electrical, and software — is designed and built entirely in-house.

Six Design Principles

01
Zone Division
Decentralized subsystems inspired by Rivian's design ethos — one fault can't cascade.
02
System Design Engineering
MIT 16.842 methodology with rigorous design reviews and PDR completion underway.
03
Limit COTS Parts
Custom interconnects, chassis, and instrumentation — maximizing learning and IP.
04
Design for Serviceability
Quick-release interconnects on all critical components for rapid field recovery.
05
HIL Testing
Hardware-in-the-Loop validates field performance without risking live instrumentation.
06
Rapid Iteration
CAD and EDA toolchains with robust version control in a fast-paced workspace.

02 / Our Metrics

$4,500
Funding Secured
Awarded by the UNB Engineering Endowment Fund — institutional validation of our team's technical and organizational credibility.
60+
Active Participants
Students from across UNB designing CAD in Fusion 360, writing firmware in C, and building system diagrams in Visio — all actively contributing.
200+
Hours of Combined Work
Mechanical prototyping, design reviews, electrical architecture, and software development — all within a single academic year.

03 / The Build

Three subsystems. One competition rover.

Mechanical Subsystem
  • Fusion 360 models complete: arm, chassis, wheels
  • Custom rocker-bogie suspension geometry
  • Virtual LiDAR & stereo camera arrays designed
  • Lightweight, waterproof low-cost frame
  • Gasketed airflow system for Nvidia Orin GX thermal control
Electrical Subsystem
  • 7-Zone decentralized architecture
  • 24V 72Ah LiFePO4 + Smart BMS (8S 100A)
  • Hardware fail-safes & transient suppression
  • IP67-rated ruggedized interconnects
  • Mac mini M4 Pro + Nvidia compute backbone
Software Subsystem
  • Hard real-time scheduling (time-triggered cycle)
  • Static resource allocation — no mission-critical starvation
  • Envelope protection blocks unsafe actuation commands
  • Fixed-size periodic data packets, no latency spikes
  • Automatic fail-safe reversion on timing violations

04 / Sponsorship Tiers

Pick your tier. Leave your mark on Sapere.

All tiers are cumulative — each level includes every benefit from the tiers below it. Your support directly funds hardware, competition fees, and travel to CIRC 2026.

🌙
Moon Buggy
$100
  • Invitation to sponsor night
  • Name & logo on our website
  • Certificate of appreciation
Get Started
🔧
Shuttle Mechanic
$250
  • Active link to your website
  • Team photo & letter
Get Started
📡
Mission Controller
$500
  • Logo on sponsor banner
Get Started
Most Popular
🚀
Rocket Scientist
$1,000
  • Photo with the team
  • Logo on the rover body
  • Featured post on LinkedIn & Instagram
Get Started
👨‍🚀
Astronaut
$2,500
  • Plaque of appreciation
  • Logo on team shirt & merchandise
Get Started
🛸
Martian
$5,000
  • Logo with custom message
  • Digital signage on rover body
Get Started

* All tiers are cumulative. In-kind / equipment donations are also welcome — contact us to discuss.

05 / Get in Touch

Ready to sponsor Sapere?

Our sponsorship team will respond within 48 hours. We're happy to discuss custom packages or in-kind contributions.

✓ Message received — we'll be in touch within 48 hours.

Location
University of New Brunswick
Fredericton, NB, Canada
In-Kind Donations
We also welcome donations of electronics, PCB fabrication, 3D printing filament, structural materials, software licenses, and engineering tools. Every contribution moves Sapere closer to competition.
Project Timeline
Qualifier Round✓ Cleared
PDR CompletionIn Progress
Hardware DeliveryEarly 2026
Full Assembly & HIL TestingSpring 2026
CIRC CompetitionAug 7–10, 2026