Title :
Navigation system for a research ice probe for antarctic glaciers
Author :
Niedermeier, H. ; Clemens, Joachim ; Kowalski, J. ; Macht, S. ; Heinen, D. ; Hoffmann, Raik ; Linder, P.
Author_Institution :
Inst. of Space Technol. & Space Applic., Univ. der Bundeswehr Munchen, Neubiberg, Germany
Abstract :
Water filled caverns and crevasses in glaciers are miraculous habitats, which can accommodate highly specialized and adapted microbes and bacteria. The challenge for scientists is to obtain a sample of this water without contaminating it with surface bacteria, as well as to protect the sample from oxygen and sun light. “IceMole” is a combined melting and drilling probe that can drill a bore hole with flexible trajectory under the ice and allows breaking into the crevasse from below or from the side to obtain clean and unaltered sample liquids, unlike standard drilling equipment. For this, the probe can travel distances in the ice of up to 80 m. A complex navigation system is needed to pinpoint the target. This paper focuses on the development and test of the IceMole navigation system, which enables precise probe navigation through the ice. This navigation system covers dead reckoning (DR) using inertial sensors, magnetometers and axial feed information, as well as acoustic positioning and reconnaissance, and sensor fusion. Navigation inside of glaciers is a special application of mining and borehole navigation. The special application and combination of the individual parts of the navigation suite make the project unique.
Keywords :
drilling (geotechnical); glaciology; hydrological techniques; magnetic sensors; magnetometers; melting; microorganisms; sensor fusion; DR; IceMole navigation system; acoustic positioning; antarctic glaciers; axial feed information; borehole navigation; complex navigation system; crevasses; dead reckoning; drilling probe; flexible trajectory; inertial sensors; magnetometers; melting probe; microbes; mining; miraculous habitats; reconnaissance; research ice probe; sensor fusion; standard drilling equipment; sunlight; surface bacteria; water filled caverns; Acoustics; Ice; Magnetometers; Navigation; Probes; Sensor fusion; Attitude Heading Reference System (AHRS); acoustic positioning; dead reckoning; inertial navigation; magnetometer; mapping; mining; sensor fusion; simultanious localization and mapping (SLAM); subsurface glacier navigation;
Conference_Titel :
Position, Location and Navigation Symposium - PLANS 2014, 2014 IEEE/ION
Conference_Location :
Monterey, CA
Print_ISBN :
978-1-4799-3319-8
DOI :
10.1109/PLANS.2014.6851461