Development of Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) for Detecting Crevasses in Glaciers

Abstract

Research activities in Antarctica face a number of risk factors, such as cold, strong winds, and isolated or dangerous environments. Among them, crevasses, which are deep cracks in glaciers, can cause fatal accidents since they are difficult to locate as they are covered with snow. In this paper, we present the development, design, and deployment of an UGV (Unmanned Ground Vehicle) that can explore ice-sheets and be used in various polar research fields. The developed UGV was customized to remotely detect crevasses and prevent related accidents. In order to adapt to the harsh terrain of Antarctica, the vehicle features ground clearance over 260 mm, four-wheel-drive ability with a 400W high-power motor, as well as passive joints and differential links to allow for four-point contact on rough terrain. The UGV is also designed to run for more than two hours on the Antarctic ice sheet at a speed of 2.5 m/sec. The control unit uses open-source hardware and software for rapid function implementation and ease of future customization. In November 2019, the UGV detected crevasses successfully by towing an IPR (Ice Penetrating Radar) along the 2.6 km section of the Browning Pass around Jang Bogo Station, Antarctica. Further improvement is required for heading angle errors due to magnetic compass malfunctions in Antarctica, and for the vibration and misalignment of the traction device for the towing research equipment.