RAPID: Aerial Robots for Remote Autonomous Exploration and Mapping

提案编号：CNS 11- 38110 PI：Kumar，R. Vijay; Michael，Nathan D机构：宾夕法尼亚大学标题：快速：用于快速反应的空中机器人：远程自主探索和绘图项目建议：这个RAPID项目，开发和部署一组自主空中机器人，可以进入非结构化的危险环境，探索和绘制设施，为安全的操作员提供信息，远程位置。这项工作汇集了在机器人技术方面具有互补专业知识的研究小组，以解决获取灾后评估图像和三维地图的挑战性问题。自主机器人将在没有直接通信链路的情况下部署，从而能够进入目前无法进入的福岛地区。为了满足迫切需要，工作包括重新设计空中机器人系统，以在室内和室外环境中执行测绘，定位和探索功能，而无需事先了解环境或GPS（全球定位系统）。该系统将部署在高度污染的环境中，如日本福岛灾难地区，扩展了该团队开发的现有机器人系统。它应该能够建立地图，并在地图上自主定位，规划和控制，但需要与基站进行交互以传达相关信息。空中机器人独立行动和部署在严重污染地区的范式转换能力表现出新奇。日裔美国学术研究团队将从事以下一些活动：-开发从高度污染环境（例如在辐射污染的情况下）获取信息的方法。- 设计和部署一个或多个自主机器人（即，没有与基站的链接），配备有摄像机和激光测距仪，以及可能携带的传感器，这些传感器可能揭示关于污染程度的新见解。- 开发信息收集和地图构建的算法和方法。- 通过日本同事在日本部署机器人。大多数无人机（无人机）都是远程操作的，每个无人机的部署都有几个人类操作员。机器人技术和无人机技术的交叉融合有可能创造出具有广泛民用和国防应用的新型中小型自主无人机。该项目将探索使用自主无人机从因辐射污染而无法进入的环境中获取信息。将部署一个或多个配备摄像头和激光测距仪的自主四旋翼机器人，以探索部分已知的环境，并构建结构的3D地图，并可能携带传感器，这些传感器可能会揭示有关污染程度的新见解。这些机器人必须在没有与基站的任何通信链路的情况下运行。因此，这将代表首次部署真正自主的机器人。这项工作涉及与日本仙台东北大学搜索和救援机器人研究员Satoshi Tadokoro博士的合作。Tadokoro博士已为拟议的联合研究提交了一封支持信。来自同一所大学的另一位合作者吉田和也博士领导了一个名为？极端环境下的机器人还带来了极限机器人？这一合作奋进的背景。该项目预计将在极端环境测试中失去机器人，因此需要建造更多的自主空中机器人进行实验。还要求提供资金前往日本进行合作研究和实验。 更广泛的影响：仙台以及福岛一号和二号核电站发生的一系列悲惨事件导致放射性碘、铯和锶的严重污染，使人类几乎不可能进入核电站的许多区域评估损害。首先，使用机器人从目前无法进入的地区获取信息将对灾后恢复行动产生重大影响。其次，自主空中机器人的使用将建立机器人技术的一个重要里程碑，并将使核电行业能够更好地在未来快速应对灾害。该提案通过参与性研究范式支持日本的经济复苏努力，有望立即造福社会。此外，对未来灾害的长期利益是显而易见的，因为应急响应和无人驾驶系统都是形成领域，收集的数据将促进在不可预测的情况下发现和理解智能，以人为本的系统。此外，自主空中机器人的使用将在机器人技术领域建立一个重要的里程碑，使核电行业能够更好地在未来快速应对灾害。最后，该项目将培训本科生和研究生，让他们接触高影响力的应用领域。

Proposal #: CNS 11-38110PI(s): Kumar, R. Vijay; Michael, Nathan DInstitution: University of PennsylvaniaTitle: RAPID: Aerial Robots for Rapid Response: Remote Autonomous Exploration and MappingProject Proposed:This RAPID project, developing and deploying a team of autonomous aerial robots that can enter an unstructured, hazardous environment to explore and map a facility, provides information to human operators in safe, remote locations. The work brings together research groups with complementary expertise in robotics to address the challenging problem of acquiring imagery and three-dimensional maps for post-disaster assessment. Autonomous robots will be deployed without a direct communication link enabling access to areas in the Fukushima that are currently inaccessible.Addressing an urgent need, the work consists of redesigning aerial robotic systems to perform mapping, localization, and exploration functions in indoor and outdoor environments without prior knowledge of the environment or GPS (Global Positioning System). The system, to be deployed in highly contaminated environments such as the area of Fukushima disasters in Japan, expands the present robotic systems developed by the team. It should be able to build maps and localize, plan, and control autonomously in that map, but requires interactions with a base-station to communicate the relevant information. The paradigm shifting capabilities of aerial robots to act independently and be deployed in critical contaminated areas exhibit novelty. The Japanese-American academic research team will be engaged in some of the following activities: - Develop methods to acquire information from highly contaminated environments, such as in case of radiation contamination. - Engineer and deploy one or more autonomous robots (i.e., without the link to the base station) equipped with cameras and laser range finders as well as potentially carrying sensors that might reveal new insights about the degree of contamination. - Develop algorithms and methods for information gathering and map building. - Deploy the robots in Japan through Japanese colleagues.Most UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) are teleoperated with several human operators engaged in the deployment of each UAV. The cross fertilization of technologies for robotics and UAVs has potential to create new small to medium scale autonomous UAVs with a wide range of civilian and defense applications. This project will explore the use of autonomous UAVs for acquiring information from environments that are impossible to access because of radiation contamination. One or more autonomous quad rotor robots equipped with cameras and laser range finders will be deployed to explore the partially-known environment and build 3-D maps of the structure and potentially carrying sensors that might reveal new insights about the degree of contamination. These robots will have to operate without any communication link to the base station. Thus this will represent the first deployment of a truly autonomous robot of its kind.This work involves a collaboration with Dr. Satoshi Tadokoro, a researcher in search and rescue robotics, from Tohuku University in Sendai, Japan. A support letter has been submitted by Dr. Tadokoro for the proposed joint research. Another collaborator from the same University, Dr. Kazuya Yoshida, leads the project entitled ?Robotics in Extreme Environment? and brings the ?Extreme Robotics? background to this collaborative research endeavor. The project, expected to lose robots in extreme environment tests, consequently requires building additional autonomous aerial robots for the purpose of the experiments. Funding is also requested to travel to Japan for collaborative research and experimentation. Broader Impacts: The tragic sequence of events in Sendai and the Fukushima I and II nuclear power plants has resulted in significant contamination due to radioactive iodine, cesium and stronium, making it nearly impossible for humans to enter many areas in the power plants to assess damage. First, the use of robots to acquire information from currently inaccessible areas will have a significant impact on post-disaster recovery operations. Second, the use of autonomous aerial robots will establish an important milestone in robotics and will allow the nuclear power industry to be better positioned to rapidly respond to disasters in the future. 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. Furthermore, the use of autonomous aerial robots will establish an important milestone in robotics allowing the nuclear power industry to be better positioned to rapidly respond to disasters in the future. Finally, the project will train undergraduate and graduate students and expose them to high-impact application areas.