23-08-2013, 03:22 PM
Robot Assisted Emergency Search and Rescue System With a Wireless Sensor Network
[attachment=57411]
Abstract
The unprecedented number and scales of natural and human-induced disasters in the past
decade has urged the emergency search and rescue community around the world to seek for
newer, more effective equipment to enhance their efficiency. Search and rescue technology
to-date still rely on old technologies such as search dogs, camera mounted probes, and
technology that has been in service for decades. Intelligent robots equipped with advanced
sensors are attracting more and more attentions from researchers and rescuers.
This paper presents the design and application of a distributed wireless sensor network
prototyping system for tracking mobile search and rescue robots. The robotic system can
navigate autonomously into rubbles and to search for living human body heat using its
thermal array sensor. The wireless sensor network helps to track the location of the robot by
analyzing signal strength. Design and development of the network and the physical robot
prototype are described in this paper.
Introduction
Humanitarian search and rescue operations can be found in most large-scale emergency
operations. Tele-operated robotic search and rescue systems consist of tethered mobile robots
that can navigate deep into rubbles to search for victims and to transfer critical on-site data
for rescuers to evaluate at a safe spot outside of the disaster affected area has gained the
interest of many emergency response institutions. Distributed wireless sensor network applied
in many different fields including, medical [10], civil [9], and environment research [12], has
demonstrated its value in conveying data over large area with high level of power efficiency,
which is particular suitable for tracking the location of search and rescue robots in large
search field.
This research demonstrates the use of distributed wireless sensor network to track search
and rescue robot in an open field. The goal of the research is to develop a physical prototype
to demonstrate feasibility of the proposed application that can help to acquire realistic data to
use as simulation parameters in future search and rescue research.
This paper begins with an introduction to humanitarian search and rescue and robotics
search and rescue systems. Then the paper moves on to describe the basic specifications of
the wireless sensor network system.
Humanitarian Search and Rescue
Natural and human-induced disasters in the past decade has claimed millions of lives and
demolished astronomical sum of assets around the world. Natural disasters such as the
Hurricane Marilyn in 1995 [2], the Oklahoma Tornado in 1999 [8], the Indian Ocean
Earthquake [13] and Hurricane Katrina in 2005 [3], and the Pakistan Earthquake in 2005 [1],
all claimed deadly and costly tolls to the affected communities. Human-induced disasters
such as the civil war between Uganda government and the LRA (Lords Resistance Army) that
dragged on for nearly two decades since 1987, the long-running Somali civil war since 1986,
and the never-ending Palestinian conflict in Hebron and the Gaza Strip caused much more
causalities than nature has ever claimed. Searching and removing landmines during and after
the war can reduce civilian casualty and sooth local tension. De-mining and defusing
landmines after the settlement of a war is a humanitarian responsibility that war parties
should bear. However, until today, yet-cleared minefields still scatter in countries like
Vietnam and Cambodia, claiming lives of ill-fated civilians.
Robot Assisted Search and Rescue Systems
Robots designed for search and rescue had been discussed in scientific literature since the
early 1980’s [6]; however, no actual systems had been developed or fielded until 2001. With
the advancement in sensor miniaturizations and exponential increment in the speed and
capability of microcontrollers, rescue robots small enough to thread through rubbles are
rolling out of experimental laboratories into the catastrophic areas. The first real research on
search and rescue robot began in the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 [7].
Robots were not used at the bombing response, but suggestions as to how robots might have
been applied were taken. In 2001, the first documented use of urban search and rescue robots
took place during the 9/11 World Trade Center (WTC) disaster. Mobile robots of different
sizes and capacities were deployed. These robots range from tethered to wireless operated,
and from the size of a lunch box to the size of a lawnmower [11]. Their primary functions are
to search for victims and to identify potential hazards for rescuers.
Wireless Mobile Robot Tracking System
The low-cost autonomous robotic search and rescue system (Figure 2) presented in [4]
was designed to cooperate in large quantity to search for survivors in rubbles. These robots
were equipped with wireless communication module to facilitate data and video/audio
transfer. These wireless robots, with no tethers, can navigate freely in obstructed environment
but are difficult to track their locations once they wander out of the operators’ sights. The
Zigbee communication module equipped in each of these mobile robots offers an opportunity
to track down their locations. The following paragraphs will describe how a Zigbee based
sensor network interacts with the onboard Zigbee communication module on each robot to
estimate their locations.
Distributed Wireless Sensor Network
The distributed wireless robot tracking system presenting in this paper is based on the
GSCF [5] developed for controlling decentralized systems. For the wireless robot tracking
system in this research, the primary objective is to continuously track the location of each
robot by evaluating a collective set of feedbacks from multiple sources. These feedbacks
include coordinates from the Zigbee Communication Module, motor encoders, and electronic
compass. The only system constraint to be incorporated into the system is accuracy of the
estimated robot locations.
The low-cost Zigbee based sensor network used in this research is suitable for tracking
robots in large area and to relate information over long distance in an energy efficient
manner. However, position estimations obtained from RF based systems are venerable to
interferences; therefore additional referencing sensors are often desirable in more accurate
applications. The solution for this particular application is to take advantage of the readily
available motor encoders and electronic compasses installed in the robots to generate more
reliable position estimations, though these sensors all exhibits inherited reliability issues in
their own way. Table 1 lists their advantages and disadvantages.
Conclusions
The AIS-based distributed tracking system developed for the mobile search and rescue
robots are being tested indoor in a laboratory between tables, chairs and miscellaneous
obstacles. Within the environment there are uncontrolled RF interferences of different sorts,
including Wi-Fi routers, mobile phones, activated The suppression indices from the
suppressor cells have priority over all others, it is being evaluated first to see whether the
estimation based on encoders, sensor network, and compasses comply with each other. If the
suppression index is low, meaning the estimation from sensor network agree with additional
sources (encoder and compass) the suppressor modulator will not react strongly.
[attachment=57411]
Abstract
The unprecedented number and scales of natural and human-induced disasters in the past
decade has urged the emergency search and rescue community around the world to seek for
newer, more effective equipment to enhance their efficiency. Search and rescue technology
to-date still rely on old technologies such as search dogs, camera mounted probes, and
technology that has been in service for decades. Intelligent robots equipped with advanced
sensors are attracting more and more attentions from researchers and rescuers.
This paper presents the design and application of a distributed wireless sensor network
prototyping system for tracking mobile search and rescue robots. The robotic system can
navigate autonomously into rubbles and to search for living human body heat using its
thermal array sensor. The wireless sensor network helps to track the location of the robot by
analyzing signal strength. Design and development of the network and the physical robot
prototype are described in this paper.
Introduction
Humanitarian search and rescue operations can be found in most large-scale emergency
operations. Tele-operated robotic search and rescue systems consist of tethered mobile robots
that can navigate deep into rubbles to search for victims and to transfer critical on-site data
for rescuers to evaluate at a safe spot outside of the disaster affected area has gained the
interest of many emergency response institutions. Distributed wireless sensor network applied
in many different fields including, medical [10], civil [9], and environment research [12], has
demonstrated its value in conveying data over large area with high level of power efficiency,
which is particular suitable for tracking the location of search and rescue robots in large
search field.
This research demonstrates the use of distributed wireless sensor network to track search
and rescue robot in an open field. The goal of the research is to develop a physical prototype
to demonstrate feasibility of the proposed application that can help to acquire realistic data to
use as simulation parameters in future search and rescue research.
This paper begins with an introduction to humanitarian search and rescue and robotics
search and rescue systems. Then the paper moves on to describe the basic specifications of
the wireless sensor network system.
Humanitarian Search and Rescue
Natural and human-induced disasters in the past decade has claimed millions of lives and
demolished astronomical sum of assets around the world. Natural disasters such as the
Hurricane Marilyn in 1995 [2], the Oklahoma Tornado in 1999 [8], the Indian Ocean
Earthquake [13] and Hurricane Katrina in 2005 [3], and the Pakistan Earthquake in 2005 [1],
all claimed deadly and costly tolls to the affected communities. Human-induced disasters
such as the civil war between Uganda government and the LRA (Lords Resistance Army) that
dragged on for nearly two decades since 1987, the long-running Somali civil war since 1986,
and the never-ending Palestinian conflict in Hebron and the Gaza Strip caused much more
causalities than nature has ever claimed. Searching and removing landmines during and after
the war can reduce civilian casualty and sooth local tension. De-mining and defusing
landmines after the settlement of a war is a humanitarian responsibility that war parties
should bear. However, until today, yet-cleared minefields still scatter in countries like
Vietnam and Cambodia, claiming lives of ill-fated civilians.
Robot Assisted Search and Rescue Systems
Robots designed for search and rescue had been discussed in scientific literature since the
early 1980’s [6]; however, no actual systems had been developed or fielded until 2001. With
the advancement in sensor miniaturizations and exponential increment in the speed and
capability of microcontrollers, rescue robots small enough to thread through rubbles are
rolling out of experimental laboratories into the catastrophic areas. The first real research on
search and rescue robot began in the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 [7].
Robots were not used at the bombing response, but suggestions as to how robots might have
been applied were taken. In 2001, the first documented use of urban search and rescue robots
took place during the 9/11 World Trade Center (WTC) disaster. Mobile robots of different
sizes and capacities were deployed. These robots range from tethered to wireless operated,
and from the size of a lunch box to the size of a lawnmower [11]. Their primary functions are
to search for victims and to identify potential hazards for rescuers.
Wireless Mobile Robot Tracking System
The low-cost autonomous robotic search and rescue system (Figure 2) presented in [4]
was designed to cooperate in large quantity to search for survivors in rubbles. These robots
were equipped with wireless communication module to facilitate data and video/audio
transfer. These wireless robots, with no tethers, can navigate freely in obstructed environment
but are difficult to track their locations once they wander out of the operators’ sights. The
Zigbee communication module equipped in each of these mobile robots offers an opportunity
to track down their locations. The following paragraphs will describe how a Zigbee based
sensor network interacts with the onboard Zigbee communication module on each robot to
estimate their locations.
Distributed Wireless Sensor Network
The distributed wireless robot tracking system presenting in this paper is based on the
GSCF [5] developed for controlling decentralized systems. For the wireless robot tracking
system in this research, the primary objective is to continuously track the location of each
robot by evaluating a collective set of feedbacks from multiple sources. These feedbacks
include coordinates from the Zigbee Communication Module, motor encoders, and electronic
compass. The only system constraint to be incorporated into the system is accuracy of the
estimated robot locations.
The low-cost Zigbee based sensor network used in this research is suitable for tracking
robots in large area and to relate information over long distance in an energy efficient
manner. However, position estimations obtained from RF based systems are venerable to
interferences; therefore additional referencing sensors are often desirable in more accurate
applications. The solution for this particular application is to take advantage of the readily
available motor encoders and electronic compasses installed in the robots to generate more
reliable position estimations, though these sensors all exhibits inherited reliability issues in
their own way. Table 1 lists their advantages and disadvantages.
Conclusions
The AIS-based distributed tracking system developed for the mobile search and rescue
robots are being tested indoor in a laboratory between tables, chairs and miscellaneous
obstacles. Within the environment there are uncontrolled RF interferences of different sorts,
including Wi-Fi routers, mobile phones, activated The suppression indices from the
suppressor cells have priority over all others, it is being evaluated first to see whether the
estimation based on encoders, sensor network, and compasses comply with each other. If the
suppression index is low, meaning the estimation from sensor network agree with additional
sources (encoder and compass) the suppressor modulator will not react strongly.