This paper describes the biomimetic inspiration and development of a burrowing robot called CRABOT. This robot is one part of a project to investigate novel techniques for locating the source of volatile chemicals released underground. A range of chemicals, including petrol, kerosene and diesel fuel, are commonly stored in underground tanks or transported by buried pipelines. All of these structures are prone to corrosion and the development of leaks. Currently, finding the source of underground chemical leaks is a difficult task. As part of an automated system to locate chemical leaks a prototype burrowing robot has been developed modeled on the mole crab Emerita talpoida. The current version of this robot functions in a 'semi-submersed' configuration that allows the operation of the burrowing mechanism to be easily observed. Later versions will burrow completely below the surface. This paper provides details of the design and performance of the prototype burrowing robot.
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