International Planning Visit: Robotic Exploration of the Mersa/Wadi Gawasis, Hurghada, Egypt

摘要：该提案旨在支持计划访问，以开发一个项目：埃及赫尔格达Mersa/Wadi Gawasis考古遗址的机器人探索。PI寻求与埃及最高文物委员会的海洋考古学家Mohamed Abd El-Maguid博士建立长期合作关系，使用机器人检查那些对人类来说太危险而无法进入的考古兴趣区域。特别值得关注的地区位于Mersa/Wadi Gawasis地区，那里有许多人工洞穴，用来存放古代船只的碎片。这一地区现在引起了埃及古物学家的极大兴趣。波士顿大学的凯瑟琳·巴德博士和那不勒斯东方大学的鲁道夫·法托维奇活跃在这一地区，阿卜德·马吉德与他们一起协助发掘和确定历史意义。他们已经确定了两个特定的洞穴，里面有非常有趣的文物，并且正在寻找另一个人造储存设施的位置。这些地区对人们来说不安全。PI已经开发了机器人，称为蛇机器人，因为它们在杂乱的空间中表达和机动，与生物蛇的方式非常相似。它们将被探索用于这些地点。智力优势：蛇机器人有望识别甚至从考古洞穴中取回物品。这次旅行将允许PI检查洞穴入口，之后有望进行机器人探险。PI还将与卡内基梅隆大学的另一位教员Majd Sakr博士合作，利用云计算技术，通过机器人传播他们的挖掘结果。更广泛的影响：PI和他的埃及合作者希望这项工作能够引领未来在有限空间的考古机器人探险。机器人已经在大金字塔和水下使用过一次。在机器人这个新领域，考古学家可以使用机器人作为工具来探索和调查重要的考古遗址，而不会干扰周围的区域，这通常发生在人们进入这些地点时。在探索这些区域时，机器人能够绘制出该地点的地图，其他人也可以查看。这张地图将提供该地点的三维视图，允许任何人，无论是考古学家还是非专业人士，远程和虚拟地访问一个具有重大国家利益的地点。PI计划访问匹兹堡附近的学校，以考古学的应用为主题，讨论机器人技术。蛇形机器人寻找具有历史意义的人工制品是一个更有吸引力的故事之一，可以告诉一个中学生，以提高对科学和工程的兴趣。Choset还将为本科生开发机器人实验模块，主题是在危险环境中寻找人工制品。该项目由信息与智能系统司和国际科学与工程办公室资助。

OISE-1066733 ChosetSummary: The proposal is for support of a planning visit to develop a project on: Robotic Exploration of Mersa/Wadi Gawasis Archeological Sites, Hurghada, Egypt. The PI seeks to establish a long-term collaboration with Dr. Mohamed Abd El-Maguid, marine archeologist at the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, to use robots to inspect regions of archeological interest that are too dangerous for people to enter. The specific area of interest lies in the Mersa/Wadi Gawasis region that contains many man-made caves that were used to store pieces of ancient ships. This region has now gained considerable interest by Egyptologists. Dr. Kathryn Bard of Boston University and Rodolfo Fattovich of the University of Naples "l'Orientale" are active in this area, and Abd El-Maguid has joined with them to assist in excavations and in determining historical significance. They have identified two specific caves that contain artifacts of great interest and are looking at another location for a man-made storage facility. These areas are not safe for people to enter. The PI has developed robots, called snake robots, because they articulate and maneuver through cluttered spaces, much in the same ways biological snakes do. They are to be explored for use in these sites. Intellectual merit: Snake robots are expected to identify and even retrieve items from archeological caves. This trip will allow the PI to inspect the cave entrances which hopefully will be followed up by an expedition with the robots. The PI also will work with Dr. Majd Sakr, another Carnegie Mellon faculty, using efforts in cloud computing to disseminate the results of their excavations with the robots. Broader Impact: The PI and his Egyptian collaborator expect this work to lead to future expeditions of robotics in archeology in confined spaces. Already, robots have been used once in the great pyramid and under water. In this new field of robotics, archaeologists can use robots as tools to explore and investigate important archaeological sites without disturbing the surrounding areas, which often happens when people enter such locations. While exploring such regions, the robot is able to construct a map of the site, which in turn can be viewed by others. This map will provide a three-dimensional view of the location, allowing anyone, both archaeologist and non-specialist alike, to remotely and virtually visit a location of great national interest. The PI plans to visit schools around Pittsburgh to talk about robotics, drawing on the application of archeology for subject matter. Snake robots looking for artifacts of historical significance is one of the more compelling stories one can tell a middle school student to raise interest in science and engineering. Choset will also develop lab modules for the undergraduate robotics with the theme of looking for artifacts in dangerous environments. This project is funded by the Division of Information and Intelligent Systems and the Office of International Science and Engineering.