Robotics
Large-Scale Autonomous Gas Monitoring for Volcanic Environments: A Legged Robot on Mount Etna
•January 15, 2026
Original Description
Volcanic gas measurements are critical for understanding eruptive activity. However, harsh terrain, hazardous conditions, and logistical constraints make near-surface data collection extremely challenging.
In this work, we present an autonomous legged robotic system for volcanic gas monitoring, validated through real-world deployments on Mount Etna. The system combines a quadruped robot equipped with a quadrupole mass spectrometer and a modular autonomy stack, enabling long-distance missions in rough volcanic terrain.
Key highlights:
✅ Three autonomous gas-monitoring missions across diverse volcanic terrains
✅ Successful mapping of SO₂ and CO₂ at natural fumaroles
✅ Lessons learned for gas analysis and long-range autonomy in the field
💻 Project page: https://leggedrobotics.github.io/etna-expedition/
📄 Paper (arXiv): https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.07362
👥 Team: Julia Richter, Turcan Tuna, Manthan Patel, Takahiro Miki, Devon Higgins, James Fox, Cesar Cadena, Andres Diaz, Marco Hutter
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