Gabriel M. Garcia

CollAborative Exploration and Structural Analysis using heterogenous multi-Robot system in eXtreme enviRonments

Nowadays, we are using more and more robots to replace the tedious, difficult, or even impossible tasks to be done by humans. This is especially true in the undergrounds, where the walls can be damaged by water, vibration, seismic waves or any aggression through time. The CAESAR-XR project allows, through all its dangers, to send entire fleets of robots to map, explore and discover points of interest in long-abandoned mines and caves. For such systems to work autonomously, they must 'see' and 'understand' the environment through different components. In the CAESAR-XR project, robots of all types can be used. Some sensors allow the robot to make a 3D map, while others use colour cameras or calculate the distance between the robot and the various obstacles in front of the robot. These fleets of intelligent robots will not always be connected with a human pilot, which is why they must communicate and make decisions by themselves when exploring the underground. CAESAR-XR aims to develop a simulated environment based on a randomised generation of underground environments to facilitate the validation and verification of the developed algorithms before accessing underground environments. Experts can then use the data collected by the robots to help identify potential weaknesses in the internal structure of the explored areas. The use of this information can be used in the mining industry as well as in space with potential explorations of lunar lava tubes that could serve as protection for a base against radiation and extreme temperatures.