Paper Info
Title
Development of a Blade‐type Crawler Mechanism for a Fast Deployment Task to Observe Eruptions on Mt. Mihara
Abstract
Observing a crater during a volcanic eruption is a dangerous task that is still being performed by volcanologists. Because of the risks involved, it is proposed that this observation be performed by robots rather than humans. Unlike rescue robots that operate inside buildings, those that observe craters during volcanic activities are expected to demonstrate rapid movements because the environmental conditions during an eruption can change in a split second. Furthermore, the cost of the robots to be developed should be kept to a minimum, as there is a high chance that they will be damaged or lost. This study proposes a blade-type crawler vehicle with improved performance over rough terrain. The vehicle does not compromise speed nor does it have complex controls, which keeps the cost low. The objective of the study was to observe eruptions on Mt. Mihara on Izu Oshima Island, where there have been threats of eruption in recent years. The proposed vehicle was tested, and its effectiveness was demonstrated through laboratory experiments and a field test on Mt. Mihara. This vehicle was capable of traveling on scoria desert and vulnerable, uneven, and rough terrain, including bushes, on Izu Oshima Island. In addition, the vehicle recorded a maximum velocity of about 10km/h and climbed over steps with a height of about 135mm, which is about 270% of the diameter of its wheel. Moreover, it is small, lightweight (2.5kg), and it can be operated by one person. Through practical experiments, it was verified that the vehicle demonstrated superior performance and speed over rough terrain as compared with other crawler mechanisms. Therefore, it was found that the mechanism was effective for an unmanned probe device, especially in a hypothetical volcanic eruption site on Izu Oshima Island.
Year
DOI
Venue
2016
10.1002/rob.21589
JOURNAL OF FIELD ROBOTICS
Field
DocType
Volume
Impact crater,Vulcanian eruption,Volcano,Rescue robot,Simulation,Terrain,Scoria,Engineering,Robot,Web crawler
Journal
33.0
Issue
ISSN
Citations 
SP3.0
1556-4959
2
PageRank 
References 
Authors
0.39
0
4
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Yasuyuki Yamada11011.32
yutaka miyagawa220.39
ryota yokoto320.39
Gen Endo448953.07