Northern and Arctic Bases : a concrete opportunity for man-machine complementarity test

摘要

In December 2007, in cooperation with the Institut Paul-Emile Victor (France) and the Alfred Wegener Institut (Germany), in the frame of the International Polar Year, the Arctic Research Base AWIPEV in Ny-Alesund (79°N) welcame the Aerocrew mission, in polar night. The 11 crew members, including physicians, aerospace crew trainers and engineers, have then investigated the possibility for such a base to demonstrate men-machine complementarity, with robotics on one hand, and human external activities on the other hand. Concerning the robotics, simple systems were used to open common perspectives, on planet and arctic site : mini-robot for ground observation with micro-camera and specimen recovery, micro-helicopter for aerial observation and access to steep sites. This kind of application is suitable for geologists, glaciologists, biologists and specialists of the atmosphere ; these scientists are required in arctic and in planetar bases. The mission was also a unique occasion for the crew to meet some specialists, and to show a transverse aspect as multidisciplinary team.In addition, as the presence of human operators is irreplaceable (complementar with robots) the Orlan EVA Russian glove has been tested in snow and ice, and compared with polar suits. The conclusion is that a strong synergy between polar techniques and planetar technologies, with crossed spinoffs, is highly fruitful, and that the use of Northern facilities constitute an excellent and affordable opportunity.