Assessing the search and rescue domain as an applied and realistic benchmark for robotic systems

Abstract

Aim of this paper is to provide a review of the state of the art in Search and Rescue (SAR) robotics. Suitable robotic applications in the SAR domain are described, and SAR-specific demands and requirements on the various components of a robotic system are pictured. Current research and development in SAR robotics is outlined, and an overview of robotic systems and sub-systems currently in use in SAR and disaster response scenarios is given. Finally we show a number of possible research directions for SAR robots, which might change the overall design and operation of SAR robotics in the longer-term future. All this is meant to support our main idea of taking SAR applications as an applied benchmark for the Field Robotics (FR) domain

A Survey on Unmanned Surface Vehicles for Disaster Robotics: Main Challenges and Directions

“…Currently, exercises with the navy and disaster missions [167,201] simulated in competitions [168,169,170] are ways to perform such evaluations and operational validation. Schneider et al [244] argue that SAR scenarios can be used to validate robotic systems. However, in some cases such as those involving extreme hazards, e.g., radiation, it may be more suitable to make use of computer simulations [165] instead.…”

The Challenge of Preparing Teams for the European Robotics League: Emergency

“…humanoid) robot as such excellent multipurpose robot might be very difficult to design and/or prohibitively expensive to purchase and maintain. In search and rescue robotics, UAVs and UGVs have been researched in collaborative scenarios for mapping, localization and task planning in multiple cases [5], [6], [8], [10].…”

“…There are currently very few formal case studies on multi-domain robot teams with different backgrounds working together. Also, there currently exists no known examples where robots from multiple domains have been utilized alongside search and rescue (SAR) teams immediately after a disaster event [6].…”

Maneuvering on non-Newtonian fluidic terrain: a survey of animal and bio-inspired robot locomotion techniques on soft yielding grounds

“…The problem of locomotion in deformable grounds is important to solve because it would facilitate new robotic applications such as search and rescue in wet forests, muddy fields, avalanches, and mudslides ( Schneider and Wildermuth, 2016 ); for the agricultural vehicles operating on wet soils (e.g., rice fields) ( Duckett et al., 2018 ; Oliveira et al., 2021 ); for exploration or excavation of materials (e.g., wood and ore) with a minimal environmental impact ( Billingsley et al., 2008 ; Lopes et al., 2020 ); for environmental monitoring in high-biodiversity areas (e.g., river estuaries, bogs, and shores) ( Dunbabin and Marques, 2012 ); or for extra-terrestrial exploration ( Li and Lewis, 2022 ).…”