Dynamic Obstacles Detection for Robotic Soil Explorations

Nowadays, robots can navigate complex and dynamic environments such as air, water, and different terrain. However, moving into the underground, and especially into the soil, is still a challenge. Soil is a complex environment, and its exploration and monitoring is a crucial aspect in different engineering fields. Although some robotic solutions for mapping the soil are available, none of them can navigate into it. In this work, we propose a new solution for dynamic obstacles detection by embedding a 6-axis force torque sensor into a plant-inspired robot for soil exploration. We measured the forces acting on the apical part of the robot while it penetrates the soil by growing. We tested the system in different configurations, and at different depths. Results show that it is possible to identify the relative position of the obstacle before touching it with the robot. By using the proposed method as control feedback it is possible to move toward the development of novel robotic systems for navigating in complex and dynamic environments, such as the soil.