Radar for Meteorite Search
This is the main page for documentation regarding the use of radar technologies
as part of the sensor research under the Robotics Search of Antarctic Meteorites.
The past and current developments of radar indicate that it has excellent
possibilities of being part of the sensors of a remote explorer that will
search for meteorites on ice and snow surfaces.
One important property of radar sensors is the ability of penetrating
the surface, to bring information about the layer composition, buried objects
and other underground features. This is specially important considering
that the meteorites might be covered by layers of snow or buried slightly
in ice.
Radar sensors are immune to weather and dust conditions, so it is the
preferred terrain mapping and obstacle detection sensor for an semiautonomous
explorer in antarctic operations, where meteorites are more likely to be.
Even more important then the ability to detect buried meteorites, the
detection of voids and hidden crevasses is vital for the machine safeguarding.
This technology allows the machine to detect this dangers before stepping
in to them.
The effort has been broken down into several smaller components which
will be described at length as things progress. Documentation for these
smaller components will appear as links from this page as it emerges.
GPR Research Pages
GPR stands for Ground Penetrating Radar. This sensor works with relatively
low frequencies (usually under 1 GHz). The low frequency allows ground
and soil penetration, and the echo returned from the interfaces of different
media is used to obtain information about buried objects, voids and layers
of different composition under the surface.
The following pages are related to the Anctarctic Season 97-98 (first
project expedition).
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Antarctica GPR Research Plan: Radar Research
Plan shows the plans for experiments and
research in the project's first season in Antarctica (January 1998).
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GPR Equipment Configuration: GPR Equipment
Configuration describes the equipment
brought in the first season, the GPR, positioning and attitude sensors.
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Sensor Acquisition Visual Interface: The
acquisition unit is a laptop mounted in the sled with the rest of the sensors.
Description of the visual interfaces to control data acquisition are presented.
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Early Results: Early Result presents the
early results of data analysis. Simple presentation of the representation
of buried objects, layers, and voids are shown.
Navigation Radar Research Pages
Radar sensors are immune to weather and dust conditions, so it is feasible
as obstacle detection sensor for an semiautonomous explorer in antarctic
operations, where meteorites are more likely to be. Radar with high frequencies
might detect objects and obstacles to obtain traversability information.
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Robotic Search for Antarctic Meteorites 1997
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Send comments, questions, or suggestions to: meteorite-info@ri.cmu.edu
This document prepared by Alex
Foessel
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