scholarly journals Modelling Wireless Robots for Urban Search and Rescue in Artificial Rubble

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Tik Wa Charles Tsui
Keyword(s):  
Wireless Communication ◽  
Wireless Network ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Search And Rescue ◽  
Communication Link ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Urban Search And Rescue ◽  
Safe Distance ◽  
Tier System ◽  
Rescue Personnel

<p>Using robots to assist rescue personnel in USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) missions is an active area of research. Researchers are developing robots to penetrate into rubble to gather information about the environment and to search for victims. The School of Engineering and Computer Science of Victoria University of Wellington is developing a team of robots, the "robot family" to help at disasters. The robot family is a three-tier system. The first tier the "grandmother" which carries second tier "mother robots" to the rubble. The mother robot each launches a group of the third tier "daughter robots" that will penetrate the rubble surface. The daughter robots will burrow deep into the disaster site. They will be equipped with sensors to search for and locate trapped persons. They are designed to be small, battery operated, low cost and disposable. The team of robots is hierarchically structured and to be remotely monitored by rescue personnel at a safe distance from the rubble via a wireless communication link. This thesis describes the successful implementation of a wireless communication platform for the team of robots. This was verified using a simulated rubble site. A suitable ZigBee wireless module was selected by comparing a list of target brands to form the wireless network. A group of simulated wireless daughter robot models were developed by attaching wireless modules to microcontrollers. An automatic routing wireless network was implemented between the robots. They were deployed into artificial rubble and the communication system was characterised. Proof of concept experiments were carried out and demonstrated that rescue personnel using a computer at a safe distance outside the rubble could successfully establish reliable communication to monitor or control all robots inside the artificial rubble environment.</p>

scholarly journals Modelling Wireless Robots for Urban Search and Rescue in Artificial Rubble

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Tik Wa Charles Tsui
Keyword(s):  
Wireless Communication ◽  
Wireless Network ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Search And Rescue ◽  
Communication Link ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Urban Search And Rescue ◽  
Safe Distance ◽  
Tier System ◽  
Rescue Personnel

<p>Using robots to assist rescue personnel in USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) missions is an active area of research. Researchers are developing robots to penetrate into rubble to gather information about the environment and to search for victims. The School of Engineering and Computer Science of Victoria University of Wellington is developing a team of robots, the "robot family" to help at disasters. The robot family is a three-tier system. The first tier the "grandmother" which carries second tier "mother robots" to the rubble. The mother robot each launches a group of the third tier "daughter robots" that will penetrate the rubble surface. The daughter robots will burrow deep into the disaster site. They will be equipped with sensors to search for and locate trapped persons. They are designed to be small, battery operated, low cost and disposable. The team of robots is hierarchically structured and to be remotely monitored by rescue personnel at a safe distance from the rubble via a wireless communication link. This thesis describes the successful implementation of a wireless communication platform for the team of robots. This was verified using a simulated rubble site. A suitable ZigBee wireless module was selected by comparing a list of target brands to form the wireless network. A group of simulated wireless daughter robot models were developed by attaching wireless modules to microcontrollers. An automatic routing wireless network was implemented between the robots. They were deployed into artificial rubble and the communication system was characterised. Proof of concept experiments were carried out and demonstrated that rescue personnel using a computer at a safe distance outside the rubble could successfully establish reliable communication to monitor or control all robots inside the artificial rubble environment.</p>

scholarly journals A Wireless-Communication-Based Active Safety System for Articulated Heavy Vehicles

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tina Mirfakhraie ◽  
Ramiro Liscano ◽  
Shenjin Zhu ◽  
Yuping He
Keyword(s):  
Wireless Communication ◽  
Wireless Network ◽  
Packet Loss ◽  
Data Exchange ◽  
Noise Burst ◽  
Sensor Data ◽  
Communication Link ◽  
Channel Fading ◽  
Heavy Vehicles ◽  
Lane Change Test

This paper presents an active trailer steering (ATS) system using a wireless communication link to facilitate exchanging information among vehicle units of articulated heavy vehicles (AHVs). A challenge for developing and implementing the wireless-communication-based ATS system is to address the problems of delay and packet-loss. Embedding wireless communication transceivers on an AHV may introduce delays for data exchange, and the transmitted data may be lost. Many reasons may lead to the delay and packet-loss, e.g., channel fading, noise burst, interference, etc. The proposed ATS system may prevent unstable motion modes of AHVs if the sensor data reach the controllers/actuators in real-time with an acceptable level of delay and packet-loss. In order to ensure the performance of the ATS control, a Kalman-filter-based estimator is introduced. The estimator uses the available dynamic data to estimate the current states of the AHV in case some sensor information is not available due to a delay or an outage in the wireless communication link. To investigate the effect of the time delay due to the wireless communication on the performance of the ATS control, co-simulations are conducted. The wireless network is modeled using TrueTime toolbox, the ATS controller is designed in SimuLink package, and the AHV model is constructed in TruckSim software. Integrating the wireless network modeled in TrueTime, the ATS controller designed in SimuLink, and the AHV model constructed in TruckSim leads to the co-simulation platform. Under the emulated double lane-change test maneuver, the effects of the wireless communication with two schemes on the direction performance of the AHV are examined.

System Design and Implementation of a Transient-Motion-Powered IoT Sensor Node

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Li ◽  
Hong Tang ◽  
Junrui Liang
Keyword(s):  
Wireless Communication ◽  
Embedded System ◽  
Motion Detection ◽  
Sensor Node ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Interface Circuit ◽  
Transient Motion ◽  
Communication Module ◽  
Self Powered

Abstract In this paper, we introduce ViPSN-E: a transient-motion-powered IoT sensor node. It carries out motion detection and wireless communication by making good use of the energy harvested from an instantaneous motion. In our design, a piezo-magneto-elastic structure, which is composed of a low-cost piezoelectric cantilever and a pair of magnets, is used to induce a plucking excitation and power generation under a transient and one-way movement. An energy management circuit, which is composed of a self-powered synchronized switch harvesting on inductor (SP-SSHI) interface circuit and a voltage regulator is utilized for efficient energy conversion. Through the sophisticated collaboration between mechatronic design and computer program, the motion information can also be identified and sent out by a wireless communication module. The cyber-electromechanical synergy among mechanical dynamics, power conditioning circuit, and the low-power embedded system is emphasized towards the successful implementation of such a motion-powered IoT device. The prototyped ViPSN-E has done a good job by making good use of the energy associated with each transient plucking motion. With only one plucking excitation, the system can realize motion detection and several rounds of wire-less transmission. The study on ViPSN-E provides valuable guidance towards the self-powered ubiquitous motion-sensing systems.

Standards-setting and its implementation through the classification system for international urban search and rescue teams

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 237-245
Author(s):  
Yosuke Okita, MA ◽  
Rajib Shaw, PhD
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Management ◽  
Classification System ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Search And Rescue ◽  
Advisory Group ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Urban Search And Rescue ◽  
General Assembly Resolution ◽  
Implementation Of Standards ◽  
Clear Goal

The network of international urban search and rescue (USAR) teams, International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG), has started its unique classification system called INSARAG External Classification (IEC) since 2005. In IEC, teams are classified into Heavy or Medium category, and as of the end of 2018, more than 50 teams have been classified. It seems that, through IEC, INSARAG successfully implements the standards such as the INSARAG Guidelines although the document is nonbinding. This article analyzes why IEC has got strong support from international USAR teams and what are the keys to successful implementation of standards in international emergency management. It concludes that it has been successful because, for example, INSARAG carefully gains a consensus from the member states when creating the standards, reiterates the minimum standards instead of the best practices, and sets the clear goal. The endorsement at the UN General Assembly Resolution also contributed to gaining support. Although there are some issues which need to be considered to maintain the system in the future, the lessons of the IEC model can be used for other fields of international disaster and emergency management.

Design of a low-cost, highly mobile urban search and rescue robot

2005 ◽  
Vol 19 (8) ◽  
pp. 879-899 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley E. Bishop ◽  
Frederick L. Crabbe ◽  
Bryan M. Hudock
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Search And Rescue ◽  
Urban Search And Rescue ◽  
Rescue Robot

scholarly journals LittleBot

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
James McVay
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Environmental Monitoring ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Search And Rescue ◽  
Mobile Video ◽  
Urban Search And Rescue ◽  
User Testing ◽  
The Third ◽  
Hazardous Environments

<p>Robots to assist in USAR (urban search and rescue) situations have been employed since 2001. Such robots are designed to provide video and sensor feedback to evaluate hazardous environments before human taskforces are sent in. This minimises the risks human personnel are exposed to, while increasing the effectiveness of USAR operations. However, the typically high cost of such robots and the reliance on trained operators puts them out of reach of most USAR teams. In New Zealand, there are no nationally available robots suitable for USAR purposes. This thesis explores the development of new affordable devices that can be deployed for USAR operations, known as LittleBots. Three LittleBot variants are developed. Differing primarily in their locomotive capability, two mobile variants provide tether-less video reconnaissance and selectable gas level readings. The third, stationary variant, may be reconfigured with up to four selectable sensors, and is targeted at providing ongoing environmental monitoring at a disaster site. With all variants costing less than USD $155 in components, LittleBots are sufficiently low cost to be considered disposable, greatly increasing the likelihood they will be employed en masse. The stationary Sentry variant demonstrates a minimum runtime of over 60 hours, while the mobile variants provision up to 6 hours of mobile video reconnaissance. For independent deployment of LittleBots, a compatible Controller device is developed. Through user testing, the Controller device demonstrates easy and intuitive use, with no training required.</p>

scholarly journals LittleBot

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
James McVay
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Environmental Monitoring ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Search And Rescue ◽  
Mobile Video ◽  
Urban Search And Rescue ◽  
User Testing ◽  
The Third ◽  
Hazardous Environments

<p>Robots to assist in USAR (urban search and rescue) situations have been employed since 2001. Such robots are designed to provide video and sensor feedback to evaluate hazardous environments before human taskforces are sent in. This minimises the risks human personnel are exposed to, while increasing the effectiveness of USAR operations. However, the typically high cost of such robots and the reliance on trained operators puts them out of reach of most USAR teams. In New Zealand, there are no nationally available robots suitable for USAR purposes. This thesis explores the development of new affordable devices that can be deployed for USAR operations, known as LittleBots. Three LittleBot variants are developed. Differing primarily in their locomotive capability, two mobile variants provide tether-less video reconnaissance and selectable gas level readings. The third, stationary variant, may be reconfigured with up to four selectable sensors, and is targeted at providing ongoing environmental monitoring at a disaster site. With all variants costing less than USD $155 in components, LittleBots are sufficiently low cost to be considered disposable, greatly increasing the likelihood they will be employed en masse. The stationary Sentry variant demonstrates a minimum runtime of over 60 hours, while the mobile variants provision up to 6 hours of mobile video reconnaissance. For independent deployment of LittleBots, a compatible Controller device is developed. Through user testing, the Controller device demonstrates easy and intuitive use, with no training required.</p>

Design and Evaluation of 10-Gbps Inter-satellite Optical Wireless Communication Link for Improved Performance

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amit Gupta ◽  
Shaina Nagpal
Keyword(s):  
Wireless Communication ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Laser Source ◽  
Communication Link ◽  
Optical Wireless Communication ◽  
Optical Wireless ◽  
Satellite Systems ◽  
High Data ◽  
Improved Performance

AbstractInter-satellite optical wireless communication (IsOWC) systems can be chosen over existing microwave satellite systems for deploying in space in the future due to their high bandwidth, small size, light weight, low power and low cost. However, the IsOWC system suffers from various attenuations due to weather conditions, turbulence or scintillations which limit its performance and decreases its availability. So, in order to improve the performance, IsOWC system using directly modulated laser source is proposed in this work. The system is designed and evaluated to be suitable for high data rate transmissions up to 10 Gbps. The performance of the system is investigated in order to reduce the cost and complexity of link and improving the quality of information signal. Further the proposed IsOWC system is analysed using BER analyser, power meter and oscilloscope Visualizer.

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