Volcanic ash observation in active volcano areas using teleoperated mobile robots - Introduction to our robotic-volcano-observation project and field experiments

Observation of an active volcano is very important to determine a strategy for estimating its eruptive activity and providing residents with an evacuation warning. However, it is too dangerous for humans to install cameras during eruptive activity to determine the status of a volcano. Furthermore, permanently installed cameras might be damaged by eruptions, and craters can emerge in unanticipated positions. To handle this situation, we proposed robotic observations in a volcanic area after an eruption using a multi-rotor UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) and a small ground robot. Field experiments are effective at promoting this type of research and development. Therefore, we performed several field experiments at Mt. Asama. In this paper, we introduce our robotic observation project, and report on the field experiments conducted with teleoperated mobile robots in October 2012 at Mt. Asama.