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PROTOTYPE OF A RESCUE AND BOMB DISPOSAL

ROBOT - RESCUER

Daniel Bratanov

Resume: The RESCUER project of the European Commissions 6th Framework

Programme for Research, Technology Innovation and Demonstration focuses on the

development of an intelligent Information and Communication Technology and

mechatronic Emergency Risk Management tool for the improvement of Explosive

Ordnance Disposal, Improvised Explosive Device Disposal, and Civil Protection

Rescue Mission scenarios. The tool will be tested in five selected tasks. The project

output will include guidance for management of risk, which extends the range of

interventions possible beyond those, which are currently considered. The extendedrange of interventions will include tasks which are too risky at present to commit

human involvement, tasks where access might not be possible without ICT and

mechatronic support, tasks where such support would significantly enhance the

speed, accuracy or range of tasks/sensors especially in EOD, IEDD, significant

toxic/radiation/flammable/explosive contamination, mechanical failure and other

relevant hazardous situations or combinations of hazards. The paper reviews the

technical concepts formulated during the first eight months of the project.

Keywords: Civil protection, Emergency management, Robotics, Securewireless communication, Multi-sensory technology, Explosives technology, Military

technology, Knowledge-based systems, Safety technology

1. Introduction

Today numerous companies from around the world manufacture robots for use

in military, bomb disposal (Figure 1), and surveillance applications. The sizes of

these robots can vary from as small as a shoebox to as large as a teleoperated tank.

Control and traction methods vary considerably. Some are controlled by radio

frequency while others use fibre optic or coax cable. Traction methods vary from

multiple-track tank-like treads to multi-wheel combinations.

Currently the bomb disposal robots are focused mostly on the possibility to grasp

simpleshape rigid objects and to transport them to a disposal place, or to disrupt the

threat on-site. They all have single manipulator arm with a two jaw gripper, a vision

system limited to mo notype view of the target area and joystick control of the robots

motion and handling. The rescue robots are generally of observation type. Only a few

commercial rescue robots are equipped with manipulators, which are similar to the

bomb disposal robots. Half of the IEOD/EOD and rescue missions fail due to the

improper technical capabilities of the applied mechatronic systems. These systems

are not equipped to cope with the complexity, dynamics and uncertainty inherent in

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disaster response cases and cannot be considered as dextrous and robust. In otherwords they are targeted on specific tasks and cannot be considered as intelligent.

Figure 1 Examples of bomb disposal robots

2. Definition of the structure of the mobile robotic bomb disposal and rescuesystem and its main components

The RESCUER project is focused on the design and development of a system

that will lead to improvement of the emergency risk management through secure

mobile mechatronic support to bomb disposal and rescue operations. This

multidisciplinary task requires integration of equipment, software and knowledge of

different origin and purpose. In general they can be divided into three main

subsystems the mobile mechatronic unit, the mobile control unit (MCU) and the

emergency risk management monitoring and advising system (ERMMAS). Each of

these components in certain conditions has the ability to work as a stand alonesystem, but only their symbiosis can guarantee the success of RESCUERs mission.

The mobile mechatronic unit is RESCUERs main instrument. It is the human

rescuers hands and sense. Through it the human operators it is able to see, estimate

and manipulate the risk source. We can call the mobile mechatronic unit an

intelligent telecontrolled robot. This robot participates like human rescuer in missions

that are potentially dangerous for the specialists life and health. Its unique set of two

dexterous arms and grippers improves significantly the remote risk treatment and

reduces to minimum the pressure on the civil protection personnel.

The RESCUER mobile mechatronic unit is a system with complex structure(Fig. 2).

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Fig. 3 Components of the Mobile control unit

The devices in the mobile control unit:1. Vehicle of the Mobile Control Unit2. Industrial PC together with peripherals for ERMMAS3. Mobile Control Units monitoring equipment4. Exoskeletons5. Master gripper for the two finger gripper6. Glove for the control of the three finger gripper7. Joystick for the control of the mobile platform8. Head mounted display9. Head tracking device10. The wireless communication unit of the MCU11. Communication unit with the RM centre12. Power supply unit, trailer

The RESCUER prototype is presented on Figures 5 and 6.

Fig. 5 Mobile Control Centre

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Fig. 6 Mobile Mechatronic Unit

3. Conclusions

The RESCUER project focuses on both (a) the development of an intelligent

mechatronic Emergency Risk Management tool and (b) on the associated Information

and Communication Technology. Testing will be performed in Explosive Ordnance

Disposal (EOD), Improvised Explosive Device Disposal (IEDD), and Civil

Protection Rescue Mission scenarios.

References:

1. Arz G., A. Tth, D. Bratanov, N. Zlatov, R. Guzmn Diana, S. Burdzhiev, A.

Gasteratos, K. Pereira, Beltran, Delprato, EU FP6 Project RESCUER: The

development of a dexterous robot and intelligent information technologies forEOD/IEDD/rescue missions, 2005.

2. www.rescuer-ist.net

Acknowledgement: The article presents a work done under EU FP6 project

Improvement of the Emergency Risk Management through Secure MobileMechatronic Support to Bomb Disposal and Rescue Operations RESCUER IST-

2003-511492

a:

, . . - ., ,

, .: 082/ 888 717, -mail: dany@manuf.ru.acad.bg