Today's regional military conflicts are increasingly likely to occur in populated urban areas, in, around, over, and under unknown buildings. This places land forces in dangerous and unpredictable situations, and in many instances the conflicts also threaten noncombatants. To address this need, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Tactical Mobile Robotics program is researching and developing the capability to perform urban reconnaissance with teams of small, low-cost, semiautonomous mobile robots. Easily transportable by individuals, these robot teams will be capable of working together to perform a variety of reconnaissance functions. The program develops enabling technologies (machine perception, autonomous operation, and robotic locomotion) and integrates them into tactical systems for urban operations.
Few disasters inspire more compassion for victims and families than those involving structural collapse situations. Media audiences also sympathize, however, with heroic rescue personnel who are faced with a tremendously complex, hazardous, and often frustrating task environment. Rescue activities in the aftermath of recent earthquakes and bombings indicate a tremendous need for greater access to denied areas within any crisis site involving collapsed structures. Recent developments in the remote inspection industry show great potential for employment of small robotic microrover systems in expanded roles for Urban Search and Rescue (USAR). Similar progress in computer science research indicates an increasing role for simulation oriented modeling and intelligent decision support tools in USAR resource management procedures. This paper discusses key issues in the application of robotic systems to Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) activities and discusses ongoing development of a knowledge based system for efficient management of automated search assets.
ABSTUCT Miniature robots enable low-cost planetary surface exploration missions, and new military missions in urban terrain where small robots provide critical assistance to human operations. These space and military missions have many similar technological challenges. Robots can be deployed in environments where it may not be safe or affordable to send humans, or where robots can reduce the risk to humans. Small size is needed in urban terrain to make the robot easy to carry and deploy by military personnel. Technology to sense and perceive the environment, and to autonomously plan and execute navigation maneuvers and other remote tasks, is an important requirement for both planetary and surface robots and for urban terrain robotic assistants. Motivated by common technological needs and by a shared vision about the great technological potential, a strong, collaborative relationship exists between the NASNJPL and DARPA technology development in miniaturized robotics. This paper describes the technologies under development, the applications where these technologies are relevant to both space and military missions, and the status of the most recent technology demonstrations in terrestrial scenarios.
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