UNEXMIN: Underwater Explorer for Flooded Mines
‘This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement nº 690008’
This new H2020 project will develop a novel robotic system for the autonomous exploration and mapping of Europe’s flooded underground mines.
The Robotic Explorer (UX-1) will use non-invasive methods for autonomous 3D mine mapping for gathering valuable geological and mineralogical information. This will open new exploration scenarios so that strategic decisions on the re-opening of Europe’s abandoned mines could be supported by actualised data that can not be obtained by any other ways. The Multi-robot Platform will represent a new technology line that is made possible by recent developments in autonomy research that allows the development of a completely new class of mine explorer service robots, capable of operating without remote control. Such robots do not exist nowadays; UX-1 will be the first of its kind. Research challenges are related to miniaturisation and adaptation of deep sea robotic technology to this new application environment and to the interpretation of geoscientific data.
IGI participate in this project as a linked third parties and support the consortium through data collection for the Inventory of flooded mines. EFG leads the Work Package on dissemination, the EFG Third Parties will disseminate the results of the UNEXMIN project at national level in web portals, newsletters, conferences, workshops, educational activities, exhibitions or any other relevant means.