Teredo IceShuttle

Through-Ice-Cap Transfer-Vehicle & Base Station


Technical Details

Size: Ø 0.28 m x approx. 6.75 m (in development)
Weight: Approx. 160kg
Power supply:
External power generator
Speed: Approx. 0.8 m/h
Actuation/ Engine:
Thermal drill, thermal power 3.6 kW (ice-melting tip using 6 x 600 W cartridge heaters), estimated drilling rate 0.8 m/h
Sensors:
Supporting AUV navigation: Evologics S2CR 48/78 USBL, Sea & Sun Marine Tech SV48-6000 (CTD-Sensor), RJE International ULB-350 (acoustic beacon)
Communication:
Thetered, Ethernet

Organisational Details

Sponsor: Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action
German Aerospace Center e.V.
Grant number: The EurEx project is funded by the German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWI), Grant No. 50 NA 1217).
Application Field: Space Robotics
Underwater Robotics
Related Projects: EurEx-SiLaNa
EurEx-Safe Long-Term Navigation (09.2017- 10.2019)
TRIPLE-nanoAUV 1
Localisation and perception of a miniaturized autonomous underwater vehicle for the exploration of subglacial lakes (09.2020- 06.2023)
TRIPLE-MoDo
TRIPLE-Mobile Docking System: AI-based close-range navigation and control for soft-robotic-based docking systems (11.2020- 05.2023)
EurEx
Europa-Explorer (12.2012- 04.2016)
CUSLAM
Localization and mapping in confined underwater environments (09.2009- 07.2012)
Related Robots: Leng
Exploration AUV for long-distance-missions
DAGON

System description

The Teredo IceShuttle is a robotic probe which is capable to transport a payload through an ice-shield towards an environment located beneath the ice. The System is developed in context of the project Europa-Explorer. Here a set of robots are developed to model the exploration of the hypothesized ocean on Jupiters icy moon Europa by an analog mission on earth. Within the scenario the IceShuttle transports an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) as its payload. The propulsion through the ice is generated by a thermal drill. Besides transportation the IceShuttle functions as a stationary base station. It provides a docking interface as well as a set of additional sensors to support the AUV’s navigation.
Due to the given requirements and the necessity to carry the AUV within the IceShuttle the two systems and their design are highly integrated and adjusted towards each other.

Videos

Europa-Explorer: Mission scenario

Animation of a possible mission on Jupiter’s moon Europa

System details

Bildergalerie

 

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last updated 07.11.2023
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