Post‐disaster assessment with unmanned aerial vehicles: A survey on practical implementations and research approaches

Abstract

In this paper, we provide a review of the principal aspects related to search & rescue (SAR) with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), with particular interest in the phase of post-disaster assessment (PDA). Some areas of interest related to this topic have been chosen for the analysis: the aerial platforms used in the field, multirobot software architectures, onboard sensors and simultaneous localization and mapping approaches, terrain coverage algorithms, autonomous navigation techniques, and human-swarm interfaces. All these aspects have been analyzed with respect to the state-of-the-art, and also in relation to the project PRISMA, which focuses on the development and deployment of robots and autonomous systems that can operate in emergency scenarios, with a specific reference to monitoring and real-time intervention

Robotic System for Inspection by Contact of Bridge Beams Using UAVs

“…For example, some researchers have embedded small and lightweight serial manipulators [4,5,6], offering a new innovative solution for applications such as the inspection and maintenance of industrial facilities or aerial power lines. The authors of Reference [7] proposed the use of UAVs for the assessment of post-disaster situations such as earthquakes.…”

AiRobSim: Simulating a Multisensor Aerial Robot for Urban Search and Rescue Operation and Training

“…Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are effective platforms for data acquisition in disaster areas. Recchiuto and Sgorbissa [ 8 ] reviewed how UAVs can be used in post-disaster assessment, and discussed various topics including aerial platforms, multirobot software architectures, onboard sensors, and simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) methods. Fixed-wing UAVs are normally used at the initial survey stage due to the merits of fast moving speed and large sensing coverage [ 7 , 16 , 17 ], while mini helicopters and multi-rotors are being used for near-ground search and indoor application [ 3 , 18 , 19 ] because they are easy to operate and can hover at a fixed point.…”

“…To enable efficient, effective and safe urban SaR operations, robots are being developed to assist first responders by offering unprecedented situational awareness about disaster areas. For example, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) have been used to generate three-dimensional (3D) maps of disaster areas [ 3 , 4 ], search for survivors [ 5 , 6 ], and evaluate property damages [ 7 , 8 ]. Surviving victims are often entrapped in voids that are buried in heterogeneous rubble.…”

Fully-Actuated Aerial Manipulator for Infrastructure Contact Inspection: Design, Modeling, Localization, and Control

“…Over the last decade, UAVs have been used for this purpose, and now there are prototypes [ 11 , 12 ] and commercially available drones for an initial, non-contact inspection of difficult to access areas of the infrastructure, mostly using imagery, videos [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ], or three-dimensional point clouds [ 17 ]. In all these cases, though, the inspection is carried out remotely, and when a damage of concern is being detected, an in-depth inspection has to follow with experienced inspectors in need of hands-on-access to the infrastructure section.…”