Urban Search and Rescue Robot

About

Background Robots are required for search and rescue purposes. They should be able to access concealed places and environments to which fire fighters and rescue personnel cannot gain access. Rescuers often enter areas that have unstable structures, unknowing of the fact that there are no live victims to rescue. Robots could save the lives of victims and be first responders. Rescue workers have about 72 hours to retrieve victims due to survival constraints. Several hours are lost when rescuers are unsure of a building’s stability. After a disaster the structures are often unstable and rescuers need to evacuate until the rubble has stabilized. Robots can stay in the unstable area and continue searching for survivors. In the future robots could possibly also be used to access mines after an accident, prior to rescue workers. CAESAR (Contractible Arms Elevating Search And Rescue) robot is an improvement to some areas in already existing robots. Developments were made in the area of Urban Search And Rescue (USAR) robots focusing on antenna design, communication protocols, chassis design, traction system and artificial intelligence on decisions relating to gas danger levels for humans and the robot. The capabilities of CAESAR is audio, video and data communication irrespective of the orientation of the robot and the antennas. Penetration of radio frequencies through building material is possible. Reliable data communication is achieved with the designed Robotics Communication Protocol (RCP). The chassis is designed to have traction on unstable terrain and autonomously transform flipper arms for the best orientation. Materials for the body were selected and constructed to be able to withstand the unstable environments and high temperatures which they will encounter. The control station display gives the rescuers immediate indication of the gas concentrations detected by the onboard gas sensors. Developed analytical models determine the danger of the gas concentrations for victims, rescuers and the robots. Applications & Market Opportunities Urban Search and Rescue Robots (USAR) were first extensively tested at the collapse of the World Trade Centre in 9/11. Numerous problems and limitations were identified with the robots which paved the way for future technological advancements and research. Some of the limitations of these robots included their ineffective traction systems, their inability to withstand harsh conditions, limited wireless communication range in urban environments and unstable control systems. The USAR is specifically designed to perform urban search and rescue operations, obviating the need for rescue personnel to enter potentially dangerous or inaccessible disaster areas. Part of the research by Dr Stopforth centred on the capabilities of CAESER with respect to audio, video and data communication, irrespective of the orientation of the robot, therefore expanding the applications of the robot. Stage of Development Prototype. IP Status A South African patent has been filed and granted (2010/03618). Profiles of The Inventors 1. Riaan Stopforth MSc (Comp Sci), PhD (Mechanical - Mechatronics) Lecturer in Computer Fundamentals, Radio Communication for Mechanical Engineers, Mechatronics and Applied Mechatronics Research Interests: Mechatronics and Robotics Group, Search and Rescue, and BioEngineering 2. Glen Bright PrEng, BScEng, MScEng, PhD (Natal), MBA Academic Leader, James Fulton Professor Research Interests: Mechatronics and Robotics Group Collaboration Sought Industry Partner/Funders.