Graduation Year
2011
Document Type
Thesis
Degree
M.S.M.E.
Degree Granting Department
Mechanical Engineering
Major Professor
Stuart Wilkinson, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Nathan Gallant, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Rasim Guldiken, Ph.D.
Keywords
Ecology, Robot, Sand, Survey, Tank
Abstract
The gopher tortoise is a land tortoise living in the southeastern United States. It is a species in decline and is listed as threatened or endangered in six different states. The gopher (as commonly referred) digs burrows that it uses for many reasons and spends most of its time underground. Problems occur when trying to estimate a population because a gopher tortoise digs more than one burrow. This thesis demonstrates an innovative way to survey and investigate a gopher tortoise burrow hole by using a multi-tracked remotely operated vehicle. The vehicle carried two cameras (fore and aft) and was equipped with a microphone and LED illumination. It has tracks on four sides to increase its propulsion ratio. Its performance was evaluated in a sand pit where parameters such as incline could be controlled, and in an actual tortoise burrow. This research was done in conjunction with the Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation Department.
Scholar Commons Citation
Keese, William, "A Remotely Operated Multi-Tracked Vehicle for Subterranean Exploration of Gopher Tortoise Burrows" (2011). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/3179
