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Fun Fact: Patrick’s only full-sized 1:1 scaled model is the Mars rover Perseverance and Ingenuity, its helicopter companion. The matchstick rover contracted by Ripley’s Believe It or Not was being built at the time NASA’s rover was safely landed on Mars in February 2021.

Perseverance and Ingenuity

Patrick, with his true-to-life size model of Mars 2020 rover Perseverance and Ingenuity helicopter, completed in May 2021.

Building the matchstick model of NASA’s newest Mars rover Perseverance began in April 2020 and used 880,000 matchsticks and 28 gallons of wood glue by the time it was competed in the spring 2021. Acton exhibited the Perseverance model at Matchstick Marvels until it was moved to its permanent home with Ripley’s Believe It or Not in February 2022. The Perseverance model has multiple electronically-controlled automated features. The drone helicopter Ingenuity is also built to life-size scale with spinning rotors, measuring 42″ in diameter.

The massive matchstick model measures over 10 feet long, 9 feet wide, and 7 feet at its tallest point. In addition to having a remote control video camera mounted atop the mast, the rover can be remotely operated to move forwards and backwards. Ripley’s will use a video screen to simulate the camera’s operator standing on Mars’ surface. The Ripley’s kiosk will also allow the operator to move the rover back and forth, move the model’s sampling arm, and operate the turret head’s drill .

Perseverance on display at Matchstick Marvels prior to its shipment to Ripley’s Believe It or Not warehouse.

Gathering materials to to design and build the life-sized rover.
Attaching the wheels spokes and outer tread shells
Building the rover’s barrelled-shaped wheels
Building the sampler arm mechanism
Basic structure of Percy’s unique suspension system.
Placing the sampler arm in the body of Percy
Demo of the sampling arm
Percy’s extendable arm with drilling, sampling, and data collecting turret mounted
The turret
Building the the nuclear generator that powers the rover
Perseverance‘s Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator and cooling fins
The model is built with an interactive feature that will allow customers to moved it back and forth with a linear actuator controller.
The rover is so big it had to be assembled in Acton’s family room, as his shop is too small.
The complexities of the rover’s extendable arm and turret
Percy’s side opening that will allow access to the computer board and wiring that will operate all of the model’s automated features
The rover nears completion.
Adding Ingenuity‘s counter-spinning rotor gearbox
Final testing of Ingenuity’s funtionality

Click on link for construction video: Perseverance Construction

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Matchstick Marvels, 319 2nd Street, Gladbrook, IA

 

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Matchstick Marvels Tourist Center was built with the efforts and generosity of the people of Gladbrook, and is operated through the tireless efforts of the volunteers that staff the exhibit.

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