Photo: INESC TEC
Autonomous systems are developing fast and becoming an important part of many industry sectors, where robots can help drastically reduce costs and perform tasks that were previously challenging.
Underwater robots are probably one of the best inventions ever, helping us with so many issues, including Arctic and deep ocean research, ship inspection and repair, ecological monitoring and, now, uncovering important mineral resources.
Not many of us are aware of the fact that there are tens of thousands of mines all over Europe that are currently flooded, and therefore closed, even though they still contain mineral resources. Researching whether or not these mines do contain mineral resources and getting to them would normally be not only a costly process, but a difficult and complex one.
This is where the UX-1Neo shows up to offer a helping hand. Developed by The Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science (INESC TEC)’s Center for Robotics and Autonomous Systems (CRAS), in Portugal, this robot is the next underground mine explorer. Although, since these mines are flooded, it is technically an underwater robot.
The Portugal-based Institute recently announced that the UX-1Neo has successfully completed its first trial, at the old Urgeiriça uranium mine. It might look kind of bulky, but this spherical-shaped robot is actually smaller compared to similar ones, with a 27.5 inch (70 cm) diameter. According to the CRAS team, it can be considered one of the most advanced underwater robots in the world, capable of going as deep as 3,280 feet (1,000 meters), on its exploration missions.
And, in order to collect the necessary data, the UX-1Neo uses its 6 integrated cameras, 3D laser-based sensing systems, plus acoustic sensors. All of these features enable optimized mapping and imaging, which are then used further in the research and development project for flooded mines. This new robot is based on previous technology, but it now integrates upgraded hardware and software, which is why it’s able to reach deeper and have a better performance.
The UX-1Neo was developed as part of UNEXUP, a European project that is aiming to commercialize a new class of mine explorer robots for raw materials exploration and mine mapping.
Not many of us are aware of the fact that there are tens of thousands of mines all over Europe that are currently flooded, and therefore closed, even though they still contain mineral resources. Researching whether or not these mines do contain mineral resources and getting to them would normally be not only a costly process, but a difficult and complex one.
This is where the UX-1Neo shows up to offer a helping hand. Developed by The Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science (INESC TEC)’s Center for Robotics and Autonomous Systems (CRAS), in Portugal, this robot is the next underground mine explorer. Although, since these mines are flooded, it is technically an underwater robot.
The Portugal-based Institute recently announced that the UX-1Neo has successfully completed its first trial, at the old Urgeiriça uranium mine. It might look kind of bulky, but this spherical-shaped robot is actually smaller compared to similar ones, with a 27.5 inch (70 cm) diameter. According to the CRAS team, it can be considered one of the most advanced underwater robots in the world, capable of going as deep as 3,280 feet (1,000 meters), on its exploration missions.
And, in order to collect the necessary data, the UX-1Neo uses its 6 integrated cameras, 3D laser-based sensing systems, plus acoustic sensors. All of these features enable optimized mapping and imaging, which are then used further in the research and development project for flooded mines. This new robot is based on previous technology, but it now integrates upgraded hardware and software, which is why it’s able to reach deeper and have a better performance.
The UX-1Neo was developed as part of UNEXUP, a European project that is aiming to commercialize a new class of mine explorer robots for raw materials exploration and mine mapping.
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