Search and Reconnaissance Robot for Disaster Management

Abstract

Natural disasters like earthquakes/landslides are sudden events that cause widespread destruction, major collateral damage including loss of life. The loss cannot be completely prevented but it can be reduced. People stuck in rubble/debris from the collapsed buildings can be rescued, but that operation must be performed in a very short span of time and requires the intervention of skilled personnel to avoid further risking, and the lives of the victims trapped underneath. In this paper, we present the design and control of search and reconnaissance robot (SRR)—a robot that aims at traversing on all terrains and locating the position of survivors inside the debris for quick rescue operations and cutting down on the necessity of trained manpower. The standout feature of SRR from other existing ATVs is the active articulating chassis to allow climbing and overcoming obstacles of size much greater than its wheel diameter. Module separation allows the robot to go into tight spaces where the whole body does not fit. The design of the active articulating chassis, modularity with a locking mechanism, the entire control of the vehicle and the various modes of operation are presented.