Djedi Project

The Djedi Project was an international archaeological robotics exploration of the inaccessible interior shafts in the Great Pyramid of Giza, particularly those in the Queen's Chamber. The name derived from Djedi, the ancient Egyptian magician consulted by Pharaoh Khufu when planning his famous pyramid.[1][2]

The team was managed by University of Leeds and supported by Dassault Systèmes in France with research lead Professor Rob Richardson. Its central objective was to deploy a minimally invasive robotic system capable of navigating the shafts, in order to gather evidence about their function. Development of the robotic system took several years, with the 20cm width of the shafts posing as the main technical challenge.[3][4]

The team made preliminary studies of the airshafts in July and December 2009, and continued its work in 2011.

The Djedi robot successfully ascended the southern shaft of the Queen’s Chamber, and deployed its camera systems beyond the previously unreachable barriers.[8]

Small red markings were found inside the second-door small shaft space. The back of the door was filmed which showed the rest of two ornate metal handles. Construction marks were also found on the floor and walls of a small hidden chamber.[3][9]

Development of the project and photographic findings were published in the 2013 Journal of Field Robotics.[6][8]