Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: ABSTRACT This paper describes the design, development, and real‐world testing of an autonomous drone for subterranean exploration, known as “Prometheus.” Driven by requirements from industry that the drone be able to be deployed through areas of restricted access, Prometheus was designed to be directly deployed through a 150 mm aperture. This diameter was chosen because of its propensity in industry, such as access into caves and other confined environments. It can subsequently unfold and automatically undock itself from its deployment system, before achieving full flight capabilities. This paper presents results obtained during a deployment at Holman's test mine in Cornwall, UK. The mine is an old granite quarry that has over 2 km of tunnels and is a representative environment in which the Prometheus drone was shown to be an ideal system with which to explore and map unknown voids with restricted borehole access.
Source: Journal of Field Robotics
DOI: 10.1002/rob.70112
Authors: Liam Brown, Robert Clarke, Ali Akbari, Ferdian Jovan, Jameel Marafie, Ognjen Marjanovic, Sara Bernardini, Tom Richardson, Simon Watson
Language: English
Subfield: Aerospace Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,590
Funder: UK Research and Innovation
Awards: G2513151266, G6732448074
OpenAlex ID: W4416135720