MARMOT defines the paradigm of Alpine robotics by developing the first prototype of a robotic platform specifically designed to operate in high mountain lakes.
The rapid deglaciation of the European Alps, induced by global warming, is creating new high elevation lakes and growing in size the existing ones. This fragile and fast changing environment, subject to anthropogenic factors, is investigated as an early response indicator of climate change. Due to significant logistics and transportation requirements, also in terms of costs and pollution, given by the operating area, the development of an ad hoc green technology for environmental monitoring minimising the impact on the observed site is needed.
An interdisciplinary approach, involving academic and research institutions, to harmonise contributions by different disciplines such as robotics (CNR), sensors (CNR), ICT (UniUd), analytical and environmental chemistry (UniTo), biology and microbiology (CNR), allows the evolution of state-of-the-art research in marine and polar robotics towards the new paradigm of Alpine robotics.
The result will be the design and development of a set of autonomous portable (as a back-pack) modular robotic and sensor tools for persistent data acquisition and sampling in high mountain lakes; one of the first real cases of persistent ASV monitoring systems. Since technology development is bijectively linked to scientific applications, continuous system validation plays a key role in the project. To this aim, two Pilot sites have been identified for preliminary tests of system logistics and functionality; data collection for the validation in a relevant environment with investigation of a known site and of an unexplored area. Furthermore, water samples will be collected by the robot to be chemically/biologically investigated for a better knowledge of the ecological status of poorly studied Alpine glacial lakes and to assess their anthropogenic impact.
The Innovation Management of MARMOT technology results will elaborate an exploitation plan for both the whole system and the set of modules that constitute it, i.e. i) BP-ASV, a modular, portable robot capable of autonomously performing long term surveys in harsh environments; ii) HELP, a set of integrated low-cost underwater multi-parametric probes; iii) AIRQino, a module integrating commercial sensors to monitor air quality variables; iv) WATERWHEEL, an underwater lightweight multiple water sampler.
Already during its development, testing and validation, MARMOT will collect a large amount of data, whose life cycle will be managed in order to make them FAIR. So as to maximise the social impact of the project and to overcome bottlenecks related to acceptance of the use of robotics technology in public areas, a dissemination strategy, supported by IoT system architecture, is centred on Citizen science involving voluntary organisations and schools.