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ICRA
2005
IEEE

The Design of a Mobile Robot for Instrument Network Deployment in Antarctica

13 years 9 months ago
The Design of a Mobile Robot for Instrument Network Deployment in Antarctica
- This paper describes the design and fabrication of a low cost, solar powered mobile robot to support a variety of scientific missions on the Antarctic plateau during the austral summer. Key to the overall design is maintaining a lightweight vehicle by using a high strength and stiffness honeycomb-fiberglass composite chassis, custom wheels and drivetrain mounting components, and high efficiency, low cost solar cells. A solar power availability analysis is detailed, demonstrating that in the low elevation of the summer sun and high albedo of pristine snow, a robot with panels on all sides exposed to direct and reflected sunlight provides ample power, even under worst-case insolation conditions. A relatively simple navigation and control algorithm provides low-bandwidth path planning and course correction. A description of potential instruments to be deployed and scientific studies aided by networks of such autonomous solar robots is provided.
Laura E. Ray, Alexander D. Price, Alexander D. Str
Added 25 Jun 2010
Updated 25 Jun 2010
Type Conference
Year 2005
Where ICRA
Authors Laura E. Ray, Alexander D. Price, Alexander D. Streeter, Daniel Denton, James H. Lever
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