Field Deployment of a Differential Quantum Gravimeter on a Robotic Multi-Physics Platform: Outdoor Test Sites and Survey Strategies within the FIQUgS Project

The FIeld QUantum Gravity Sensors (FIQUgS) project aims to advance quantum gravimetry from controlled laboratory environments to robust field operations for geophysical surveying. A central outcome of the project is the Differential Quantum Gravimeter (DQG), which enables the simultaneous acquisition of gravity acceleration and its vertical gradient. This dual-observable capability represents a substantial methodological improvement over conventional gravimetric instruments, increasing sensitivity to near-surface mass variations while reducing the influence of regional or distant sources.

To support efficient and repeatable field deployment, the DQG is operated on a dedicated robotic carrier specifically designed to handle the instrument’s weight and operational constraints. The platform also integrates a project-specific Spectral Ground Penetrating Radar system allowing coordinated multi-physics data acquisition and enhanced near-surface imaging. In this contribution, we present an overview of the status of FIQUgS DQG as well as the overall survey concept and acquisition strategies adopted for three representative outdoor field sites selected within the project. The first site, located in Reims (France), targets the detection and characterization of shallow anthropogenic cavities in urban environment. The second site, in the Netherlands, is designed to assess the detection limits of the DQG over a known dipping underground tunnel. The third site, in the Nièvre region (France), focuses on surveying a structurally complex geological setting.

These sites provide complementary test conditions to evaluate instrument performance, survey design, and data integration workflows. The presented framework highlights the potential of quantum gravity instrumentation, when combined with robotic deployment and multi-sensor approaches, to open new perspectives for high-resolution near-surface and engineering geophysics.