An international team of Málaga archaeologists, the University of Málaga, and the Polytechnic University of Turin has gathered over 335 GB of multimodal data in the Cueva de la Victoria to improve the autonomous navigation of robots in karst caves. The Rincón de la Victoria Town Hall authorised access to and use of the cave.
The Cueva de la Victoria, in Rincón de la Victoria, has been the setting for an international scientific study aimed at enhancing the algorithms for autonomous localisation and mapping of robots in highly complex underground environments. The project, named CAVERS (Multimodal SLAM Data From a Natural Karstic Cave With Ground Truth Motion Capture), has been developed by an international team of Málaga archaeologists, researchers from the University of Málaga, and the Polytechnic University of Turin.
The work in the cave has allowed for the collection of a multimodal dataset of over 335 GB, which will contribute to the development of navigation systems for autonomous robots in natural karst caves. These environments are characterised by total darkness, complex geometries, narrow passages, and reflective wet surfaces.
The study was conducted with the authorisation of the Rincón de la Victoria Town Hall for access to and use of the Cueva de la Victoria, as well as in collaboration with the archaeological activity project in the caves of Victoria and Higuerón Tesoro (Rincón de la Victoria, Málaga, Spain), focused on rock art and geoarchaeological surveys.
To carry out the research, the team used a ground rover equipped with sensors and infrared thermal cameras, RGB-D depth cameras, and inertial sensors, in addition to installing a motion capture system inside the cave. The archaeological activity was led by María del Mar Espejo Herrerías, with the collaboration of Pedro Cantalejo Duarte and Pedro Cantalejo Espejo.
The results have been compiled into a scientific article published in a high-impact journal and made available to the scientific community through open-access repositories.
“This study once again highlights the Cueva de la Victoria as a site of heritage interest for scientific studies”
The cave thus reinforces its presence in international research on robotics and heritage.
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