Abstract-This paper describes a novel tele-operation and training device for walking excavators based on a compact 3DOF motion platform. Thanks to an innovative setup optimized for high mobility, with two lever arms for differential roll and pitch actuation as well as a continuous rotation mechanism for yaw, the movement of the remote walking excavator can be accurately replicated in any situation. For realistic yet comfortable visual feedback, three foldable screens provide a view around the unmanned excavator. With this augmented feedback, an operator can work as if he was sitting in the actual machine. The platform is successfully tested by experienced and unexperienced users. To this end, a realistic simulation using CM Labs vortex environment is implemented and a series of scenarios are tested. As such, ibex additionally serves as ideal training device for walking excavator pilots.

The interest in exploring planetary bodies for scientific investigation and in situ resource utilization is ever-rising. Yet, many sites of interest are inaccessible to state-of-the-art planetary exploration robots because of the robots’ inability to traverse steep slopes, unstructured terrain, and loose soil. In addition, current single-robot approaches only allow a limited exploration speed and a single set of skills. Here, we present a team of legged robots with complementary skills for exploration missions in challenging planetary analog environments. We equipped the robots with an efficient locomotion controller, a mapping pipeline for online and postmission visualization, instance segmentation to highlight scientific targets, and scientific instruments for remote and in situ investigation. Furthermore, we integrated a robotic arm on one of the robots to enable high-precision measurements. Legged robots can swiftly navigate representative terrains, such as granular slopes beyond 25°, loose soil, and unstructured terrain, highlighting their advantages compared with wheeled rover systems. We successfully verified the approach in analog deployments at the Beyond Gravity ExoMars rover test bed, in a quarry in Switzerland, and at the Space Resources Challenge in Luxembourg. Our results show that a team of legged robots with advanced locomotion, perception, and measurement skills, as well as task-level autonomy, can conduct successful, effective missions in a short time. Our approach enables the scientific exploration of planetary target sites that are currently out of human and robotic reach.

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