3D terrain mapping vehicle for search and rescue

Abstract

The emergence of urban search and rescue robotics (USAR) as a field of research is largely attributed to the failure of robots in the field thus far. Existing platforms are unable to fulfill the task of finding survivors because they are expensive, specialized, and require a very long lead time to construct and use. Further, they cannot be localized once a survivor is found. This project seeks to address the issues by developing an untethered unmanned ground vehicle with a multitude of sensors to map its path in 3D, coupled with an intuitive graphical user interface for facilitating two-way communication with the onboard Raspberry Pi micro-computer. In the current prototype, wireless communication is achieved through the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) over a Wi-Fi connection. Dead reckoning has been used as the technique to process proprioceptive sensor data, meaning the system is not reliant on external support to produce the 3D terrain model. The developed graphical user interface allows easy and intuitive visualization of the terrain model and allows users to mark the model for rescue purpose. The developed prototype has successfully demonstrated its ease of construction, intuitive user interface and capability of automatic terrain mapping.