Derivation and Analysis of System Requirements for a Robust Antarctic Exploration Robot in Harsh Driving Conditions Based on Antarctic Application Experiments

Abstract

This paper presents the initial operational results of the Antarctic exploration robot KAREX on the Antarctic continent. It analyzes various phenomena encountered during autonomous navigation in Antarctic conditions and derives the necessary requirements for operating autonomous robots in such environments. KAREX navigated surfaces such as snow, ice, glaciers, gravel, and soil around the Jangbogo Station in Antarctica, covering a distance of about 10 Km. Activities included navigating around structures, glacier areas, snow hills, and water puddles. The robot was also stored outside overnight. Remote monitoring and control of KAREX from a distance was conducted to verify the robot&quots effectiveness. This process led to the analysis and verification of preplanned specifications before real-environment testing and the identification of additional operational and system requirements to withstand the harsh Antarctic operational conditions.