System of Drones for Caves and Lava Tubes Exploration

Stephen Ponder; Rebecca Schreiner; Nicolas Blanchard; Erik Asphaug; Jekan Thangavelautham; Sergey Shkarayev

System of Drones for Caves and Lava Tubes Exploration

Stephen Ponder, Rebecca Schreiner, Nicolas Blanchard, Erik Asphaug, Jekan Thangavelautham, Sergey Shkarayev

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Abstract

The work presents a conceptual design of a system of drones for the exploration of caves and lava tubes. The system comprises a train of drones and beacons communicating through a ground station. Simultaneous localization and mapping algorithms are employed to facilitate navigation in complex environments. The detection of the cave entrance and finding the pathway in an unknown and inaccessible environment is based on an artificial intelligence algorithm integrated into specialized flight controller software. The experimental program aiming to validate the developed system is underway in both laboratory conditions and outdoor in caves and lava tubes.

Original language	English (US)
Title of host publication	Autonomous VTOL Technical Meeting and Electric VTOL Symposium 2023
Publisher	Vertical Flight Society
Pages	1-6
Number of pages	6
ISBN (Electronic)	9781713887843
State	Published - 2023
Event	2023 Autonomous VTOL Technical Meeting and Electric VTOL Symposium - Mesa, United States Duration: Jan 24 2023 → Jan 26 2023

Publication series

Name	Autonomous VTOL Technical Meeting and Electric VTOL Symposium 2023

Conference

Conference	2023 Autonomous VTOL Technical Meeting and Electric VTOL Symposium
Country/Territory	United States
City	Mesa
Period	1/24/23 → 1/26/23

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Aerospace Engineering

Cite this

System of Drones for Caves and Lava Tubes Exploration. / Ponder, Stephen; Schreiner, Rebecca; Blanchard, Nicolas et al.
Autonomous VTOL Technical Meeting and Electric VTOL Symposium 2023. Vertical Flight Society, 2023. p. 1-6 (Autonomous VTOL Technical Meeting and Electric VTOL Symposium 2023).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Ponder, S, Schreiner, R, Blanchard, N, Asphaug, E , Thangavelautham, J & Shkarayev, S 2023, System of Drones for Caves and Lava Tubes Exploration. in Autonomous VTOL Technical Meeting and Electric VTOL Symposium 2023. Autonomous VTOL Technical Meeting and Electric VTOL Symposium 2023, Vertical Flight Society, pp. 1-6, 2023 Autonomous VTOL Technical Meeting and Electric VTOL Symposium, Mesa, United States, 1/24/23.

@inproceedings{f61f39cfc40747fca7d5fb537b7d7e39,

title = "System of Drones for Caves and Lava Tubes Exploration",

abstract = "The work presents a conceptual design of a system of drones for the exploration of caves and lava tubes. The system comprises a train of drones and beacons communicating through a ground station. Simultaneous localization and mapping algorithms are employed to facilitate navigation in complex environments. The detection of the cave entrance and finding the pathway in an unknown and inaccessible environment is based on an artificial intelligence algorithm integrated into specialized flight controller software. The experimental program aiming to validate the developed system is underway in both laboratory conditions and outdoor in caves and lava tubes.",

author = "Stephen Ponder and Rebecca Schreiner and Nicolas Blanchard and Erik Asphaug and Jekan Thangavelautham and Sergey Shkarayev",

note = "Publisher Copyright: Copyright {\textcopyright} 2022 by the Vertical Flight Society. All rights reserved.; 2023 Autonomous VTOL Technical Meeting and Electric VTOL Symposium ; Conference date: 24-01-2023 Through 26-01-2023",

year = "2023",

language = "English (US)",

series = "Autonomous VTOL Technical Meeting and Electric VTOL Symposium 2023",

publisher = "Vertical Flight Society",

pages = "1--6",

booktitle = "Autonomous VTOL Technical Meeting and Electric VTOL Symposium 2023",

}

TY - GEN

T1 - System of Drones for Caves and Lava Tubes Exploration

AU - Ponder, Stephen

AU - Schreiner, Rebecca

AU - Blanchard, Nicolas

AU - Asphaug, Erik

AU - Thangavelautham, Jekan

AU - Shkarayev, Sergey

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - The work presents a conceptual design of a system of drones for the exploration of caves and lava tubes. The system comprises a train of drones and beacons communicating through a ground station. Simultaneous localization and mapping algorithms are employed to facilitate navigation in complex environments. The detection of the cave entrance and finding the pathway in an unknown and inaccessible environment is based on an artificial intelligence algorithm integrated into specialized flight controller software. The experimental program aiming to validate the developed system is underway in both laboratory conditions and outdoor in caves and lava tubes.

AB - The work presents a conceptual design of a system of drones for the exploration of caves and lava tubes. The system comprises a train of drones and beacons communicating through a ground station. Simultaneous localization and mapping algorithms are employed to facilitate navigation in complex environments. The detection of the cave entrance and finding the pathway in an unknown and inaccessible environment is based on an artificial intelligence algorithm integrated into specialized flight controller software. The experimental program aiming to validate the developed system is underway in both laboratory conditions and outdoor in caves and lava tubes.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85189931531&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85189931531&partnerID=8YFLogxK

M3 - Conference contribution

AN - SCOPUS:85189931531

T3 - Autonomous VTOL Technical Meeting and Electric VTOL Symposium 2023

SP - 1

EP - 6

BT - Autonomous VTOL Technical Meeting and Electric VTOL Symposium 2023

PB - Vertical Flight Society

T2 - 2023 Autonomous VTOL Technical Meeting and Electric VTOL Symposium

Y2 - 24 January 2023 through 26 January 2023

ER -

System of Drones for Caves and Lava Tubes Exploration

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this