Development of the 'ThaiXPole' Underwater Robot for the Antarctica Exploration

Researchers around the world are increasingly interested in South Pole explorations. However, the extreme weather and geographical conditions, and the difficulty in transportation between other parts of the world and the South Pole territories make many aspects of the South Pole remain unknown and require further investigations. Thailand has a great opportunity to send a marine scientist to explore the South Pole region in collaboration with other world-class scientists. To reduce the risks for a scientist under these extreme conditions and to increase the capability in exploring and acquiring data (such as investigating a site and planning a path for underwater exploration before human exploration), development of the ThaiXPole underwater robotic system for the South Pole exploration project was established. This paper describes the design, construction, experiments and results of a service robot, 'ThaiXPole underwater robot,' prior to being sent to assist the research scientist in exploring the coast of Antarctica.