The objective of UNEXUP is to commercially deploy a new raw materials exploration / mine mapping service based on explorer robots, for geoscientific and spatial assessment of flooded mines and other underwater structures.

On the technical side, two an additional robots will be added to the current multi-robot platform (UX-1Neo and UX-2), providing additional functionalities to the exploration system, including better range and depth performance. Hardware and software upgrades, as well as new capabilities delivered by the platform are also envisaged for the current and new UX robots, which will greatly extend its application in different situations. Among these: better data acquisition and management, further downsizing, extended ranging capabilities, improved self-awareness and decision making, matured post-processing (such as the deployment of 3D virtual reality models) and interaction with the data will be targeted during the next years. Upgrading the overall technology with these tools, and possibly additional ones, will allow the system to operate with more reliability and security, with reduced costs.

These added functions arise from different stakeholders’ feedback from the UNEXMIN project. UNEXUP targets stakeholders from the mining, robotics and mineral exploration sectors, as well as all other sectors that have any kind of underwater structure that needs to be surveyed – Geological Surveys and water companies are among them.