This little robot helps fight fires
Firefighting is a dangerous profession, but some of that danger can be mitigated with good data. When firefighters enter a burning building, their greatest fear is the unknown. They don't know if they can trust the structural integrity of the building, if there is a pocket of poisonous or explosive gas, or how to navigate inside to find victims. In a project called HelpResponder, a team of researchers from Universidad Rey Juan Carlos and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid have created a robot that can enter a building to collect the data firefighters need to their work safely.
This robot, which is a medium-sized rover, can operate via manual control or in autonomous mode. Either way, his job is to explore buildings, whether during a fire or after a disaster, to map the interior and find hazards. Its camera system allows for visual detection, but it also has a host of built-in sensors to detect high temperatures, gas pockets, and more. With this information, firefighters can then enter the building and rescue anyone trapped inside while avoiding dangerous areas or bringing the necessary equipment to deal with them.
Control and monitoring occur at two levels. At the highest level, a Raspberry Pi 4 Model B single-board computer records video, handles mapping operations, and coordinates autonomous navigation. At low level, an Arduino UNO WiFi Rev.2 collects incoming data from the sensor and controls the motor driver. Onboard sensors include a temperature/humidity sensor, an air quality sensor, and ultrasonic sensors for navigation. With a modular design, additional hardware can be added to fit specific scenarios.
The team plans to continue improving the robot, especially its autonomous mode of operation. But they have already tested it in simulations and in the real world with positive results. More details on the HelpResponder can be found in their article here.
Image credit: Fernández Talavera et al.
Cards:Uno WiFi Rev2
Firefighting is a dangerous profession, but some of that danger can be mitigated with good data. When firefighters enter a burning building, their greatest fear is the unknown. They don't know if they can trust the structural integrity of the building, if there is a pocket of poisonous or explosive gas, or how to navigate inside to find victims. In a project called HelpResponder, a team of researchers from Universidad Rey Juan Carlos and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid have created a robot that can enter a building to collect the data firefighters need to their work safely.
This robot, which is a medium-sized rover, can operate via manual control or in autonomous mode. Either way, his job is to explore buildings, whether during a fire or after a disaster, to map the interior and find hazards. Its camera system allows for visual detection, but it also has a host of built-in sensors to detect high temperatures, gas pockets, and more. With this information, firefighters can then enter the building and rescue anyone trapped inside while avoiding dangerous areas or bringing the necessary equipment to deal with them.
Control and monitoring occur at two levels. At the highest level, a Raspberry Pi 4 Model B single-board computer records video, handles mapping operations, and coordinates autonomous navigation. At low level, an Arduino UNO WiFi Rev.2 collects incoming data from the sensor and controls the motor driver. Onboard sensors include a temperature/humidity sensor, an air quality sensor, and ultrasonic sensors for navigation. With a modular design, additional hardware can be added to fit specific scenarios.
The team plans to continue improving the robot, especially its autonomous mode of operation. But they have already tested it in simulations and in the real world with positive results. More details on the HelpResponder can be found in their article here.
Image credit: Fernández Talavera et al.
Cards:Uno WiFi Rev2
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