RAPID: Robotic Systems for Disaster Assessment and Disaster Relief

University Of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis MN

Investigators

Abstract

Proposal #: CNS 11-38020 PI(s): Papanikolopoulos, Nikolaos Institution: University of Minnesota Title: RAPID: Robotic Systems for Disaster Assessment and Disaster Relief Project Proposed: This RAPID project proposal, consisting of a development effort and dispatching of improved robotic inspection tools to colleagues in Japan, will expand on existing, successful robotic development efforts to create a new robot with specific capabilities needed to assist response to the Sendai earthquake and tsunami. The novelty of the proposed robot may be found in its locomotion capabilities and its resistance to dirt and water. Its ease of use make it stand out among research artifacts. The researchers will be engaged in some of the following activities: - Engineer a treaded version of the Aquapod submersible robot - Develop a sensor suite for the Aquapod - Develop a simulator tool for first responders - Deploy the robots in Japan through Japanese colleagues The investigators collaborate with Dr. Kazuhiro Kosuge from Tohuku University and Satoshi Takoro from Tohohu University. Their letters and other appropriate invitations have been secured from the Japanese researchers and responders, including the International Rescue Systems Institute, to ship a small team of robots to Sendai, Japan to assist in the inspection of critical infrastructure and other recovery operations as well as perform research on the efficacy of emergency response methods and practices. (The search and rescue phase has been terminated.) These new, improved robots combine treads and limbs for novel locomotion capabilities for their sensor payloads. New sensor payloads enable expanded sensing of location, environmental data, and radiation. With these enhanced capabilities, a team of robots will be deployed for victim and economic recovery decision-making while simultaneously collecting ephemeral data not possible with existing devices. The Sendai disaster is unique in its large geographical and economic scale and types of damage. These robots deployed in Sendai will provide an additional modality of unmanned systems to be tested along with conventional robotic types. Broader Impacts: This proposal promises an immediate benefit to society by supporting economic recovery efforts in Japan through a participatory research paradigm. Moreover, long term benefits for future disasters are in evidence since emergency response and unmanned systems are both formative domains and the data collected will advance the discovery and understanding of intelligent, human-centered systems in unpredictable situations. The PI has a history of outreach to museum, K-12, and general public education events. In addition, the simulator tool promises to enhance the safety of emergency responders, which has multiplicative benefits.