After the successful site assessment, the UNEXMIN Georobotics Ltd. just returned to Solotvyno, Ukraine to survey an abandoned, collapsed salt mine.
The robot is exploring the Shaft 10 which is 500m deep and has direct connection with the old mining chambers. Due to the top part of the shaft is filled with fresh water (until 140m water depth) and the bottom part contains oversaturated salty water the robot was trimmed with extra 25 kg of lead and a special cage was built to save it from any danger on the way down.
Due to the cold weather in November, the surface control is done from a heated tent so the team can concentrate on the work in a warm, dry, and comfortable place.
The robot is not only collecting 3D data from the shaft the corridors and the chambers, but continuously monitoring several water parameters (pH, O2 fugacity, T, EC, p) and collecting water samples from different levels.
