Development of light-weight wheeled robots, "GeoStar" series

Publicado el 31/01/2013 An observation of an active volcano is very important to work out a strategy for estimation of eruptive activity and evacuation call to residents. However, it is a too dangerous task for human to install cameras during eruptive activity. Therefore, we proposed a robotic observation in volcano area, and performed several field tests to realize an observation system. The videoclip shows field tests using small light-weight wheeled robots, called GeoStar. In the first scene, GeoStar-II is tele-operated from 3km away using cellar phone's communication, which is called FOMA in Japan. The next scene is a demonstration between the GeoStar-mini and the flying robot, TOBI. In the last scene, GeoStar-III is tele-operated from Izu-Oshima Onsen Hotel using FOMA communication. It was navigated in total 2,300 m to the Mt. Kushigata. (Oct. 2012)