We present the collaborative crater exploration of two planetary rover prototypes with an experiment during the ARCHES Moon analogue campaign on the volcano Mt. Etna, Italy, in 2022. On the volcano, the rovers successfully access the Cisternazza crater, a crater of approximately 150m in width and 30m in depth, featuring steep flanks of partially compacted and partially loose volcanic soil. The experiment shows collaborative manipulation for tethering the two rovers together and the abseiling of one rover into the crater while being supported by a winch, enabling safe crater exploration.
Corresponding project: https://www.arches-projekt.de/projekt...