Peircing the Extraterrestrial Surface: Integrated Robotic Drill for Planetary Exploration

This article presents the evolution of the first-ever robotic DRD-based penetrator for planetary exploration, as it transfers from a proof-of-concept test bench through to a prototype of the system. The architecture that has been selected is an internal actuation mechanism integrated into the drill head, driven by a conventional motor drive and with a bistable composite OHF and deployment mechanism. The new modified test bench is demonstrated to characterize the drilling technology, with the aim to test the full DRD system in the near future. The DRD has now been developed into a first prototype capable of drilling up to depths of 500 mm in planetary regoliths, with initial experiments showing the relationships between the penetration rate, frequency, and amplitude. The architecture can now be moved to the next stage of development by demonstrating a fully integrated system and exploring the addition of a hybrid drilling mechanism.