Robots exploring the world underground

langcliffe

Well-known member
This is an interesting challenge sponsored by DARPA with autonomous robots exploring underground spaces:

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasa-robots-compete-in-darpas-subterranean-challenge-final

?The final contest will be particularly challenging, since we must use wheeled, legged, and flying robots to access all of the complex spaces that DARPA will build into the competition. I am excited to see how our very diverse robot team will perform,? said Joel Burdick, a Caltech professor and JPL research scientist who leads the Caltech campus section of Team CoSTAR.
 

Rob

Well-known member
I've been following lunar/mars robot ideas for a while, including a few nice UK ones.

I have to say most of the developers must have very little idea of what a lava cave is actually going to be like if they think a wheeled robot can drive into one. My money is definitely on the Boston Dynamics "Robodog" style.  (y)

Spot-Explorer.jpg
 

Fishes

New member
I think you are being a bit unfair Rob. Everybody knows caves have nice flat and even floors. I've seen loads like that on television or in films so it must be true.
 

Cantclimbtom

Well-known member
Fishes said:
I think you are being a bit unfair Rob. Everybody knows caves have nice flat and even floors. I've seen loads like that on television or in films so it must be true.
Absolutely, mines are way too dangerous for robots.
When walking in mines you can't see for all the giant spider webs, then inevitably you fall through the floor into an old mine cart which starts rolling down a track at speed, as it gets fast it will hit points in the track and veer off crashing through a very flimsy balsa wood barricade that takes you onto a kind of huge wooden roller coaster ride in a massive chamber half full of lava, before eventually you hit the end and are catapulted through the air to land back at your colleagues feet. It has happened to me just so, on more occasions than I care to remember - the films are accurate.
I think robots can't cope with that sort of carry on, keep them in caves.
 

Fulk

Well-known member
Lava tube with nice flat floor (ish):
 

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Fulk

Well-known member
Lava tube with not such flat floor:

:
 

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