Unearthing the history with A-RHex: Leveraging articulated hexapod robots for archeological pre-exploration

Abstract

This paper aims to develop a miniature mobile robot suitable to assist archeologists in their first exploration of unknown underground tombs. Due to the rather complex and irregular terrains in the tombs and inspired by the classic RHex design, we have developed a two-segment articulated robot (A-RHex) with two RHex design units. The robot is compact and lightweight, with dimensions of 25 cm long, 6.5 cm wide, 7 cm high, and weighs 283 g. To assist the robot in entering the tomb, we have also designed a deployment platform that can take the robots underground through a 10-cm exploration hole. We introduce the overall design, control, and communication methods of A-RHex, and theoretically analyze how the articulated design can improve the stability of the robot on slopes. Laboratory experiments and field testings at two real archeological excavation sites in China have validated A-RHex's mechanical design, control strategies, communications, and capabilities for pre-exploration of open and closed tombs. We believe that this kind of robot with high terrain adaptability and a small profile may become an important tool for field archeology in the future.