DSA Master · Algorithms on a grid

Rover Protocol

You are mission control for Vega, a survey rover on Mars. Write the JavaScript that drives it. Every mission is tested on several maps it has never seen, so only a real algorithm gets it home.

Mission 01 · First Driveeasy

Touchdown. A sample is waiting south-east of the base.

Drive to the sample and collect() it. The rover faces east, and each move() is one cell.

Collect every sample
Battery: plenty
1 test map

Rover API⌄

rover.move()Drive one cell forward. Costs 1 energy (3 on sand). Hitting a rock or the edge ends the mission.
rover.turnLeft() / rover.turnRight()Turn 90° in place. Free.
rover.collect() → mineralPick up the sample under the rover. Returns its mineral, like 'ice' or 'iron'. Throws if there is none.

vega/mission.jsctrl + enter to run

1// The rover faces east. Drive to the sample, then pick it up.
2rover.move();
3

pos (1, 1) · facing E