SBIR Phase II: Rapidly Deployable Mobile Sensor Robots for Disaster Response and Monitoring

该项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是将先前在张拉整体机器人方面的研究商业化，用于新的灾难响应市场。通过快速部署传感器机器人，可以防止在未知的、危险的环境中进行灾难救援期间受害者和第一响应者未来的伤亡，传感器机器人使用半自主技术探索灾害区域，提供监视以通知第一响应者，并协助救援受害者，直到人类第一响应者到达。目前的应急程序非常耗时，要求急救人员穿上防护服，用手放置传感器来获取空气质量读数。目前的灾难机器人不能快速部署，在导航表面障碍物和爬上陡坡到达感兴趣的区域时效率低下。相反，从无人机或直升机等空中交通工具上投放的张拉整体传感器机器人可以降落在危险的、通常难以到达的地区，并立即传输监视和环境数据。有了这些信息，第一反应小组可以更好地了解情景危害，并计划如何最好地改善紧急情况，挽救生命，同时降低成本和财产损失。这项拟议的技术也将对科学和商业监测和监视的使用产生更广泛的影响。这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目将推进张拉整体机器人的发展，它们的耐用性和推进力，为商业市场降低技术风险。这项工作将侧重于扩展两种机器人平台的特征和结构：(1)在一个位置提供持续监测的固定式机器人；(2)能够在崎岖地形（碎石、岩石、斜坡）上行走的移动式机器人。有限元分析/计算流体动力学模拟将用于减轻机器人的重量，提高冲击弹性和便携性。软件改进将集中在提高崎岖地形运动的速度能力和能源效率上。控制工程师将集成鲁棒模型预测控制，以改进路径规划，增强机器人在各种拓扑结构和环境中的运动能力。改进的软件算法和用户界面将为现场实时评估提供汇总数据分析，并提供云服务器支持。集成回放功能和数据驱动学习将改善事后评估。通过提供实时360度视频馈送和更大的事件情报技术，该项目将提高未来灾难恢复行动的救援效果。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to commercialize previous research in tensegrity robots for new markets in disaster response. Future deaths and injuries of both victims and first responders during disaster rescues in unchartered, risky environments could be prevented by rapidly deploying sensor robots that use semi-autonomous technology to explore the regions of disasters, provide surveillance to inform first responders, and assist in the rescue of victims until human first responders can arrive. Current emergency response procedures are time-consuming, requiring first responders to don protective suits and hand place sensors to obtain air quality readings. Current disaster robots cannot be rapidly deployed and can be ineffective in navigating surface obstacles and climbing steep slopes to reach areas of interest. Instead, tensegrity sensor robots dropped from aerial vehicles, such as drones or helicopters, can land in dangerous, often difficult-to-reach areas and immediately transmit surveillance and environmental data. With this information, first responder teams can better understand the situational hazards and plan how best to ameliorate the emergency saving lives, while reducing costs and property damage. This proposed technology will also have broader impact in use for scientific and commercial monitoring and surveillance as well.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will advance the development of tensegrity robots, their durability, and their propulsion, de-risking the technology for the commercial market. This work will focus on expanding the features and structures of two robotic platforms: (1) stationary robots that provide persistent monitoring in one location and (2) mobile robots that are capable of ground travel over rough terrain (rubble, rocks, slopes). Finite element analysis/computational fluid dynamics simulations will be used to reduce the robots' weight and improve impact-resilience and portability. Software improvements will focus on enhancing speed capabilities and energy efficiency for rough terrain locomotion. Control engineers will integrate robust Model Predictive Control to improve path planning and enhance the robots' locomotion in a wide range of topologies and environments. Improved software algorithms and user interfaces will provide first responders with summarized data analytics for real-time assessments in the field as well as deliver cloud-server support. Integrated playback functionality and data-driven learning will improve post-situation evaluations. With technologies that provide live 360-degree video feeds and greater incident intelligence, this project will improve rescue outcomes in future disaster recovery operations.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.