Instrumentation and application of unmanned ground vehicles for magnetic surveying

Abstract

With the recent proliferation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) for geophysical surveying a novel opportunity exists to develop unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) in parallel. This research presents a pilot study to integrate two UGVs, the Kapvik planetary micro-rover and a Husky A200 robotic development platform, with a GSMP 35U magnetometer that has recently been developed for the UAV market. Magnetic noise levels generated by the UGVs in laboratory and field conditions are estimated using the fourth difference method and, at a magnetometer-UGV separation distance of 121 cm, the Kapvik micro-rover was found to generate a noise envelope ± 0.04 nT whereas the noisier Husky UGV generated an envelope of ± 3.94 nT. The UGVs were assessed over a series of successful robotic mapping missions which demonstrated their capability for magnetic mapping, and their productivity and versatility in field conditions.iii Acknowledgements I would first like to thank my supervisor, Dr. Claire Samson, for her tireless support and confidence in the development of this project from start to finish. Dr.Samson's expertise in applied geophysical methods, skill as an editor, and focus on project goals ensured that this experience would be a success. For allowing me the freedom and opportunity to explore research blending the fields of geophysical exploration and robotics, I am eternally grateful. I would like to acknowledge the support of Dr. Alex Ellery, of Carleton University's Mechanical and Aerospace department, for generously providing access to the Kapvik planetary micro-rover and Husky A200 robotic development systems for the duration of this project. Dr. Ellery's insight and advice in discussion of designs and rover integration methodology proved very helpful. I would also like to offer a sincere thank you to GEM Systems Inc. for the loan of the GSMP 35U magnetometer which was a cornerstone of this project. The technical support and knowledgeable team at GEM were a delight to work with. A special thank you to Blair Walker and Mike Wilson for their availability for troubleshooting rovermagnetometer integration issues. To David Boteler, Benôit St-Louis, Lorne McKee, Nathan Olfert, and the Geomagnetism team at NRCAN, thank you for welcoming me at the Ottawa Geomagnetic Observatory over the course of my research. Your expertise in data iv analysis techniques, technical support, and insightful discussions of magnetic methodologies made a large contribution to the successful completion of this project.