Robot-assisted marsupial deployment of urban unattended ground sensors

Abstract

Ground Sensors (UGS) have traditionally been oriented on rural environments and large sectors ofmilitary battle-space. This paper promotes the extension ofthe UGS operational envelope into the Urban Environmentwith emphasis on expanded situational awareness into confined spaces and other denied areas of direct interest to theUrban Search and Rescue (USAR) community.It has often been observed that the most daunting aspect of any crisis response is managing the unknownunknowns that inevitably plague incident commanders and emergency personnel at all levels responsible for life anddeath decisions on a minute by minute basis. In structural collapse situations, for example, rescue crews rarely have evena coarse picture ofthe number or disposition ofpeople or materiel scattered amongst the twisted beams and piles ofconcrete that typically entomb would-be survivors. How can the incident commander decide which beam to lift or evenwhich section ofthe building to search first in the absence of information ofwhat lies beneath. Even the slightest tug ona concrete slab can collapse potential life harboring void spaces below killing potential survivors in the process.In deploying mobile robots and UGS to assist in rescue operations we combined the traditional advantages ofmachine immunity to fatigue, hazardous materials and environmental controls, with the mechanical design freedom thatallowed small platforms to penetrate deep into rubble to expand both situational awareness and operational influence ofrescue services at the World Trade Center and mountainous snow-bound caves in Afghanistan. We learned a great dealfrom these experiences with regard to operational employment of advanced technology. This paper endeavors to share afew of our more prominent lessons learned regarding confined space operations as a means to inspire a new applicationsrealm for the UGS and robotics communities.