Communications of the ACM
Prototype of Intelligent Underground Robotic System for Urban Environments Developed
The European research project BADGER, coordinated by the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, has presented a prototype of an autonomous underground robot with intelligent navigation for urban environments.
Credit: Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (Spain)
An international research team led by Spain's Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) has developed a robot that can intelligently navigate underground in urban environments, which can be deployed to install wires, pipes, and other small-diameter underground scoring below a city’s streets without having to open a ditch.
Part of the BADGER (roBot for Autonomous unDerGround trenchless opERations, mapping and navigation) project, the prototype robotic system includes a surface vehicle equipped with geo-radar to scan the ground, and a 3-meter-long drilling robot.
After the rover scans a location’s subsoil, software developed by the research team determines entry and exit points for the work.
Said UC3M's Carlos Balaguer, "The use of innovative localization, mapping and navigation techniques, along with sensors and geo-radars, allows the systems to be adapted to different fields."
From Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (Spain)
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