Robot Exploration
Over the past eight years Michael Sandone and I have had great success using Underwater ROVs to push our abilities to explore difficult and dangerous spaces deep underground. We’ve enjoyed expanding the knowledge of these spaces for ourselves and others who proceeded us, and only wondered what could be hidden below the water’s surface. With every new expedition, our knowledge and skills dealing with these dangerous environments has increased exponentially.
“ The greatest mystery is right here, right under our feet! ~ Sir Oliver Lindenbrook - 1959 (Journey to the Center of the Earth) ”
Flooded passages are not the only difficulties we have faced when exploring the underground. We also have discovered dry passages that were too small to access or dangerously unstable areas. In January 2023 I thought it was time for us to begin developing an ROV to address these challenges. Since it can be difficult for a robot to navigate the rugged underground terrain, I decided to first purchase a quadruped robot development kit. This will allow us to run it through some safe trials and resolve any issues we discover in the process. Once the trials are over, we will upgrade to a much more suitable quadruped robot to add to our fleet of ROVs.
We will be sure to post updates on our progress in developing this new tool. We are excited about starting a new chapter in our push to Explore Nature’s Darker Corners.