3D scanning robot for cave exploration

A research team at an Australian university has developed a multi-legged robot that uses 3D scans of caves to map the interior. Naracoorte in southern Australia is a limestone region with numerous caves. A large amount of fossils of mammals that lived in the Paleolithic have been discovered and it is known that it is registered as a World Natural Heritage Site.

A team of researchers from the University of Adelaide announced that they have successfully developed a spider-shaped multi-legged robot in a project called CaveX to digitize the interior of Narakurte Cave. The six-footed robot was chosen as the best way to avoid damaging or destroying the interior of the cave, which is part of the World Heritage Site. Considering the interior of the cave, we also prepared various patterns for how to walk.

The research team looked at several cave entrances and found a cave where undiscovered fossils could be deposited. He plans to add technologies such as computer vision AI to make cave exploration more efficient. Related information can be found here.