Robots to explore caves on Moon and Mars for future human homes | National

By Dean Murray

A squad of robots will explore off-planet caves to help set up homes for humans, according to new research.

The robo-teams would work together to rappel down into lava holes to map out potential habitats on the Moon and Mars.

A team of European researchers has outlined the innovative mission concept in the journal Science Robotics.

Their paper follows field tests carried out on the volcanic island of Lanzarote, chosen for its similarity to harsh lunar and Martian landscapes and their potential cave systems.

The research team includes scientists from the Robotics Innovation Center at the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI).

DFKI said: “Lava caves on planetary bodies near Earth are promising sites for future base camps, offering natural protection from radiation and meteorite impacts. Yet their exploration remains difficult due to harsh conditions and restricted access.”

Three different robot types were tasked with operating together autonomously to efficiently explore and map the extreme Lanzarote environment.

The mission explored a skylight, which was a hole leading to an underground lava cave, in four steps: first, the area around the hole was mapped together; second, a sensor was dropped into the cave to collect initial data; third, a small rover rappelled down the hole; and finally, the rover explored the cave independently and created a 3D map.

The robot that was lowered into the cave was able to explore the difficult-to-access underground area, and successfully generated a detailed 3D model of the cave – a key milestone for applying such technologies in extraterrestrial missions.

DFKI said: “The results not only confirm the technical feasibility of the concept but also demonstrate the potential of collaborative robotic systems for use in future Moon or Mars missions.

“The study thus provides valuable impetus for the further development of autonomous robotic solutions in the context of planetary exploration.”