NASA’s prepping to send this tiny robot into a volcano

When Carolyn Parcheta, a NASA-based scientist, was in the 6th grade, she became fascinated with volcanoes. And now, as a post-doctoral fellow situated at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, Cal., Parcheta is developing volcano-exploring robots capable of burrowing deep into ravines unreachable by humans. Her latest creation is scheduled for a 2015 plunge. 

Expeditions undertaken by the robots will grant humans new insights into how volcanoes erupt — something Parcheta claims we don’t actually have a clear understanding of. The research also lends itself well to furthering our understanding of extraterrestrial volcanoes, since the fissures on both Earth and on Mars are the most common physical feature from which magma erupts; scientists hypothesis that the same can be said for the previously active volcanoes on the moon, Mercury, Enceladus, and Europa (Jupiter’s moon).

“In the last few years, NASA spacecraft have sent back incredible pictures of caves, fissures and what look like volcanic vents on Mars and the moon. We don't have the technology yet to explore them, but they are so tantalizing!” states robotics research Aaron Parness, “working with Carolyn, we're trying to bridge that gap using volcanoes here on Earth for practice. We're learning about how volcanoes erupt here on Earth, too, and that has a lot of benefits in its own right.”

The robot leading the expedition is an improved version of VolcanoBot 1, the first robot sent into the lava tubes of the Kilauea volcano (in Hawaii) by Parcheta, Parness, and JPL co-advisor Karl Mitchell in May of 2014. Between May 5 and 9, VolcanoBot 1 mapped magma paths up to a depth of 82 feet in two locations within a fissure; it could’ve gone deeper had been outfitted with a longer tether.
VolcanoBot 2 (left) vs VolcanoBot 1 (right).

VolcanoBot 2 is an overall improvement over its predecessor, featuring lighter weight, a smaller 10 in by 5 in frame, better mobility, an up-and-down moveable camera, including the ability to store data directly onboard or provide a live stream to the above using a more robust datalink. “It has better mobility, stronger motors and smaller wheels than the VolcanoBot 1. We've decreased the amount of cords that come up to the surface when it's in a volcano,” Parcheta said.

Understanding how magma comes out of the ground is the first step in creating an accurate prediction model for volcanic eruptions, explains Percheta, adding, “this is the first time we have been able to measure it directly, from the inside, to centimeter-scale accuracy.” The initial 3D mapping produced by VolcanoBot 1 demonstrated that the bulges in rock wall seen on the surface are also present deep understand and that – to everyone’s surprise – the fissure does not pinch shut, implying it may reach deep into the magma. The team hopes VolcanoBot 2 will delve ever deeper, unlocking more treasure; its expedition into the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii is scheduled early this March. 
 
Source: NASA