Volcano Exploration Rover:
2018 - 2020
During my time at university, I was involved in the development of a volcano exploration rover designed to collect environmental data from the crater of an extremely active volcano in Guatemala named Fuego.
The Problem
Collect
Environmental data collected from the crater of a volcano can provide volcanologists with valuable insights into it’s behaviour.
Capture
Capturing imagery from within a volcano’s crater and monitoring how its topology changes with time can indicate the nature of its eruptions.
Predict
Fuego, an extremely active volcano in Guatemala, is very difficult to access and therefore difficult to monitor via conventional methods.
Inform
Volcanologists use information collected from it’s crater to better inform local populations. Fuego’s eruption in 2018 was unforeseen and killed around 1,400 people.
A six wheel configuration was chosen based on simulated performance over expected terrain. RF communication has been used for navigation and data transmission. The device is fitted with a thermocouple and environmental sensors. The motor casing for each wheel is mounted on the chassis such that it pivots, allowing the wheels to tilt independently relative to the chassis. This action is limited by two springs that bring the wheel back into its neutral position.
The Rover is to be deployed by the University of Bristol’s Volcanologist team during a mission aimed at better understanding the behaviour of Fuego. The mission is to be filmed by the BBC.