Into the Ice: Exploration and Data-Capturing in Glacial Moulins by a
Tethered Robot
Abstract
Glacial moulins (cylindrical meltwater drainage shafts) provide valuable
insights into glacier dynamics, but are inaccessible and hazardous
environments for humans to study. Exploring using passive sensor probes
has revealed the complex geometry of moulins, however, exploration has
been limited. To overcome these challenges, we propose a tethered robot
capable of autonomously exploring and capturing data in glacial moulins.
Our novel robot is equipped with a tether to support its motion.
Combined with novel estimation and control algorithms, the tethered
robot is able to safely and efficiently maneuver in confined,
chimney-like structures such as moulins. Laboratory and field
experiments confirm the feasibility of the proposed design, showing
successful localization in environments with no access to positional
measurements. Field trials on the Mer de Glace glacier demonstrate the
robot’s capabilities, descending into the largest moulin to depths of
25m and using onboard sensors to reconstruct the moulin shape. Two
sampling mechanisms are presented and evaluated to extract samples from
the icy surface of the moulin. Our results show promising potential for
future exploration of moulins, demonstrating the effectiveness of our
tethered robot for safely gathering data from these hazardous
environments.