Peircing the Extraterrestrial Surface: Integrated Robotic Drill for Planetary Exploration

Gao, Yang; Frame, Thomas E. D.; Pitcher, Craig

doi:10.1109/mra.2014.2369293

Cited by 22 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 7 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Innovative drills inspired by a wood-wasp's ovipositor have also been designed, using backwards-facing teeth on a split penetrator known as the dual reciprocating drill (DRD). The dual-reciprocating motion allows one half of the penetrator to generate a traction force, while the other half can drive down through the substrate [ 6 ]. Both the USDC/UPCD and the DRD mechanisms allow for significantly reduced required overhead forces for drilling.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An experimental study of ultrasonic vibration and the penetration of granular material

et al. 2017

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This work investigates the potential use of direct ultrasonic vibration as an aid to penetration of granular material. Compared with non-ultrasonic penetration, required forces have been observed to reduce by an order of magnitude. Similarly, total consumed power can be reduced by up to 27%, depending on the substrate and ultrasonic amplitude used. Tests were also carried out in high-gravity conditions, displaying a trend that suggests these benefits could be leveraged in lower gravity regimes.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An experimental study of ultrasonic vibration and the penetration of granular material

et al. 2017

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Enhancement possibilities include the incorporation of highfrequency percussive vibration. There exists a biomimetic alternative percussive drill design based on the woodwasp ovipositor that eliminates the requirement for drill assembly (Gao et al 2007(Gao et al , 2015. Alternatively, a microwave drill is a coaxial waveguide-monopole antenna that concentrates microwave energy into rock or soil to generate local hotspots sufficient to melt certain minerals (Jerby et al 2002).…”

Section: Autonomous Visual Classification Of Rocks During Science Phasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Robotic astrobiology – prospects for enhancing scientific productivity of mars rover missions

Ellery

2017

International Journal of Astrobiology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Robotic astrobiology involves the remote projection of intelligent capabilities to planetary missions in the search for life, preferably with human-level intelligence. Planetary rovers would be true human surrogates capable of sophisticated decision-making to enhance their scientific productivity. We explore several key aspects of this capability: (i) visual texture analysis of rocks to enable their geological classification and so, astrobiological potential; (ii) serendipitous target acquisition whilst on the move; (iii) continuous extraction of regolith properties, including water ice whilst on the move; and (iv) deep learning-capable Bayesian net expert systems. Individually, these capabilities will provide enhanced scientific return for astrobiology missions, but together, they will provide full autonomous science capability.

show abstract

“…This had the goal of incorporating controllable lateral movements into the typical vertical reciprocation, creating a series of complex motions that can improve engagement with the regolith [ 21 ]. This is an evolution of the Quadruple Cam internal actuation mechanism design proposed in [ 22 ] and shown in Figure 4 a, in which the rotary motion of a motor is converted by a cam wheel system to linear vertical reciprocation of drive rails attached to the drill heads. The DCMM expands upon this method by simultaneously laterally reciprocating an additional pair of drive rails, shown in Figure 4 b,c.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The DCMM, as the second generation of the DRD, advances the design from the original proof-of-concept external test bench towards a system prototype that could potentially be deployed from a planetary rover. The concept follows the Quadruple Cam system architecture, in which the entire actuation mechanism is encased within the drill heads [ 22 ]. Experiments varying the reciprocation amplitudes of the DCMM, with the set-up shown in Figure 4 d, confirmed that increasing the lateral reciprocation amplitude increases the drilling depth, and additional experiments performed with the test rig tilted at an angle also reached greater depths compared to drilling vertically [ 21 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of the Third Generation of the Dual-Reciprocating Drill

et al. 2020

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The dual-reciprocating drill (DRD) is a low-mass alternative to traditional drilling techniques biologically inspired by the wood wasp ovipositor, which is used to drill into wood in order to lay its eggs. The DRD reciprocates two halves lined with backwards-facing teeth, enabling it to generate traction forces that reduce the required overhead penetration force. While previous research has focused on experimental testing of the drill’s operational and design parameters, numerical simulation techniques are being developed to allow the rapid testing of multiple designs, complementing and informing experimental testing campaigns. The latest DRD design iteration integrated a novel internal actuation mechanism and demonstrated the benefits of adding controlled lateral movements. This paper presents an exploration of how bit morphology affects drilling performance and a preliminary study of discrete element method (DEM) simulations for modelling DRD interactions in regolith. These have shown how regolith grain size and microscopic behaviour significantly affects the performance of different drill designs, and demonstrated how customisable drills can exploit the properties of various substrates. Two system prototypes are also being developed for the DRD’s third generation, each utilising novel actuation and sampling mechanisms. A final drill design will then be deployed from a planetary rover and perform the first DRD drilling and sampling operation.

show abstract

Peircing the Extraterrestrial Surface: Integrated Robotic Drill for Planetary Exploration

Cited by 22 publications

References 7 publications

An experimental study of ultrasonic vibration and the penetration of granular material

An experimental study of ultrasonic vibration and the penetration of granular material

Robotic astrobiology – prospects for enhancing scientific productivity of mars rover missions

Development of the Third Generation of the Dual-Reciprocating Drill

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About