Djedi Project facts for kids
The Djedi Project was an amazing adventure to explore the hidden parts inside the Great Pyramid of Giza. This project brought together experts from different countries and from Egypt. The name "Djedi" comes from an ancient Egyptian magician named Djedi. He was the one Pharaoh Khufu asked for advice when planning his famous pyramid. Dr. Zahi Hawass explained that the project's goal was to send a special robot into two "air shafts." These shafts lead from the Queen's Chamber inside the Great Pyramid of Khufu. The robot's job was to find clues about why these shafts were built.
The University of Leeds in the UK managed the team. Dassault Systemes in France also supported this important work. You can find a detailed report about the project on the internet.
Who Was on the Djedi Team?
The Djedi Project team included many skilled people:
- Ng Tze Chuen from Hong Kong, who was an independent researcher.
- Shaun Whitehead from the UK, another independent researcher from Scoutek.
- Robert Richardson from the UK, a Professor of Robotics at the University of Leeds.
- Ron Grieve from Canada, representing Tekron Services.
- Other important team members were Andrew Pickering, Stephen Rhodes, Adrian Hildred, Jason Liu, William Mayfield, and Andrew Smyth.
The team started studying the air shafts in July and December 2009. They continued their work in 2011.
What Tools Did the Robot Use?
The Djedi Team's robot had some very cool tools:
- A special "Pinhole camera" that could fit into tiny spaces. It could even see around corners, much like a medical endoscope.
- A small ultrasonic device. This tool could tap on the pyramid's walls and listen to the sounds that bounced back. This helped the team figure out how thick the stone was and its condition.
- A tiny "beetle" robot. This mini-robot could squeeze through a hole only 20mm wide. It was used for exploring even tighter spots.
- A very accurate compass and an inclinometer. These tools helped measure the exact direction and slope of the shafts.
- A core drill. If needed, this drill could make a small hole in the second blocking stone. It was designed to remove as little material as possible.
What Did They Find?
The team made some exciting discoveries. They found small red markings inside the space behind the second door in one of the shafts. They also filmed the back of this door. The video showed the rest of two fancy metal handles.
The progress of the project and the photos they took were shared in a science magazine called the Journal of Field Robotics.
See also
- The Upuaut Project
