Development of an autonomous robot for ground penetrating radar surveys of polar ice

This paper describes the design and fabrication of a low cost, battery-powered mobile robot for ground penetrating radar surveys in support of Polar science and logistics. Key features of the design include lightweight construction for low resistance and high energy efficiency in deformable terrain; a passive, articulated chassis for high mobility; and design simplicity for low cost. Deployment in Greenland in spring 2008 over crevasse fields demonstrated the ability of the robot to traverse rough terrain characterized by both firm and soft snow, while gathering data from a ground penetrating radar to detect crevasses. A simple navigation and control algorithm provides low-bandwidth path planning and course correction. Mobility assessment during deployment highlights the need for non-visual means of assessing mobility autonomously. A proprioceptive sensor suite and sample data for autonomous detection of terrain traversability are described.