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IMAGE: Badger, a three-metre-long drilling robot consisting of a drilling head, two clamping modules and two propulsion and steering modules. view more
Credit: UC3M
This robotic system is composed of two main elements: a surface vehicle with a geo-radar that is used to scan the ground, so that subterranean obstacles can be detected; and an autonomous underground robot that does the drilling work. Once the subsoil has been scanned by the rover, using a software developed as part of the project, a work plan is drawn up and an entry and exit point for the work to be carried out is established. The next task consists of taking the robot to the place where the work will be carried out and using it to drill from one point to another , explains the BADGER project s technical manager, Santiago Martínez de la Casa, researcher at the RoboticsLab in the UC3M s Department of Systems Engineering and Automation.