Developing a Planetary Subsurface Excavation Robot Using Annular Spiral Crawler Mechanism

The Moon’s interior holds valuable information for space research, making lunar excavation essential. Various research institutes are studying lunar excavation robots, but challenges remain in improving the excavation speed and ensuring the attitude stability of the airframe. To address these issues, an “annular spiral crawler mechanism” is proposed in which the crawler is wrapped around the cylindrical fuselage in a spiral shape. Evaluations confirm that the proposed mechanism enhances the excavation speed while ensuring the stability of the airframe by canceling the reaction force of the drill.