Pit & Quarry, July 2015
strate the mountainous task of data collection that robots can accomplish They could be used in other industries besides space exploration The GPR systems Dimitrov is using are manufactured by Geophysical Survey Systems Inc GSSI in Nashua N H Paul Fowler GSSI vice president of sales and marketing says GPR identifies many geophysical aspects not visible to the eye in an unexplored area GPR provides indications of fractures and faults or evidence of water and minerals Fowler says The information also reveals how deep the bedrock extends below the surface The technology can be used for many different applications including guidance where GPR can help navigate around a crevasse or crater in order to avoid causing damage to the rover Inactive pit One of Bond Constructions pits is currently inactive making it an ideal location for Dimitrovs tests After he visited the site Dimitrov asked Hubacz Kiley to write a letter to WPIs engineering department to confirm that her construction company was willing to collaborate with Dimitrov on his testing The site Dimitrov selected contains large amounts of cobblestone with stockpiles of small product and piles of some larger boulders Those characteristics were ideal for the types of testing Dimitrov needed to complete The boulders allow Velin to test the rovers ability to navigate around a large obstacle Hubacz Kiley says The pit is obviously not a smooth landscape so the equipment is challenged to go over different types of obstacles testing its true ability In preparing for the first tests Dimitrov and Hubacz Kiley communicated thoroughly about what was needed and what each could expect COMMUNI TY RELAT IONS Above Karen Hubacz Kiley worked with Worcester Polytechnic Institute Ph D students Vinayak Jagtap center and Velin Dimitrov during their testing of the ground rovers The rovers antennae and other sensors send out signals that bounce off their surroundings and provide scientists with geophysical data related to the rovers surroundings Left and below Bond Sand Gravel and Asphalt based in Massachusetts has been owned and operated by the Hubacz family for more than 40 years www pitandquarry com July 2015 PIT QUARRY 29
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