MRI: Development of a New Generation of Miniature Search/Rescue Robots

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This work, developing a robot platform based on the University of Minnesota Scout robot, proposes a suite of well-orchestrated efforts to design a new Scout robot that addresses some challenges involving flexibility for later design upgrades and mobility over rough terrain. The efforts include a completely new overall design with an impact on performance in terms of mobility, manipulation, and communication capabilities, the creation of a software backbone system for sensory processing and communication among different miniature robots in order to create an effective team, and the development of a saddle pack structure based in the MegaScouts platform. Expected to contribute to the field of miniature robot design resulting in heterogeneous robot teams that will be far more effective in tasks such as search/rescue operation, the project involves: Development of a new Scout robot with a new smaller form factor designed with new mobility, manipulation, and robot-linking mechanisms. A low-cost, flexible platform will be created with multiple direct applications, including serving as an educational tool. Creation of a software backbone system addressing autonomous Scout operation, intelligent failure recovery, software reusability, and automatic creation of mission scenarios.* Development of a saddle pack system based on the MegaScout platform and used for Scout deployment and control.* Investigation of communication methodologies applicable to the Scout platform, focusing on transparent integration of new communication technologies (e.g., ultra-wideband, various 802.11 standards) as these arise, without the design of entirely new communication hardware to fit the Scouts.* Development of multi-modal interfaces for the new Scout robot.* Experimental validation through a series of experiments involving a large number of the new scout robots in diverse environments to examine the relative merits and tradeoffs involved in team- versus single-robot operations.* Transition from experimental robotics to real world applications with the creation of a large number of low-cost (and thus expendable) robots.The underlying small mobile Minnesota Scout robot can be employed in a variety of applications, including search/rescue missions, locating the source of a biological or chemical release, decontamination and decommissioning efforts, and monitoring highly sensitive areas of populations, such as elderly or disabled patients in residential care.Broader Impacts involve: * Re-designing relevant courses ( Robotics, AI, Communication Systems, introductory CS courses),* Integration of the robotics platform into various levels of the curricula, * Outreach activities for retaining members of underrepresented groups in CS, CE, EE,* Outreach efforts through demonstrations at local K-12 schools and youth groups,* Seminars promoting cross-disciplinary interaction,* Creation of web resources for web-based design and execution of formation strategies for mobile miniature robotics teams, * Innovative use of the algorithms and hardware in sites (elderly care centers with the goals of improving resident's safety).