Search and rescue upgrades through high-tech
When buildings collapse, rescue workers usually have less than 72 hours to locate survivors and extract them from the rubble. This narrow time constraint maximises the chances of finding survivors alive. Additionally, first responders are frequently faced with making difficult decisions without adequate information. The CURSOR project, with funding from the EU and the Japan Science and Technology Agency, addressed these challenges.
The search and rescue toolkit
Researchers developed modular technologies that, when used in tandem, could quickly deliver a wealth of information to hand-held devices operated by first responders. Major components of the SaR toolkit include a variety of drones, miniature robots and special sensors. The drone fleet includes a mothership, swarm drones, a radar drone, and a transport drone. The tethered mothership can zoom in on areas within a wide range, providing enhanced situational awareness to the rescue team. Smaller swarm drones are used to capture data and to create 3D modelling. The radar drone is equipped with a winch for carrying the radar unit, a speaker to communicate with trapped victims and LED lights. The transport drone is used to deliver the miniature robots that will enter the rescue site. The project designed its own robot known as Soft Miniaturised Underground Robotic Finder (SMURF). It moves autonomously on a single wheel and can penetrate into dense rubble. SMURFs are equipped with a novel technology called SNIFFER. Using sensitive odorant binding proteins coupled with a training algorithm, SNIFFER can determine if a human trapped in the rubble is alive or not. SMURFs are also equipped with video and audio sensors.
First responders at the fore
CURSOR represents an international consortium organised by the German Federal Agency for Technical Relief, an end-user of the services developed. Four additional first responder organisations were also included in the consortium. Working closely between first responders and solutions providers was a core goal of the project. By developing the SaR toolkit in collaboration, the team ensured that the modular technologies developed would be quick to deploy and easy to use. According to project coordinator Tiina Ristmäe: “CURSOR had very strong and regular end-user involvement, and the entire SaR toolkit shows great promise since our integrated solutions will provide the highest benefit for first responders.” Novel technologies were tested in 15 laboratory or field tests, culminating in a large-scale field trial. Along the way, the project managed to integrate technical developments with first responder feedback, despite the challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to travel restrictions, many of the tests were carried out by teams in a single country. According to Ristmäe: “If the consortium did not include first responders from the same country as the technology partners, we recruited external first responders to fulfil the role. These tests were filmed and, in some cases, some were even broadcasted in real time to CURSOR consortium members.” The technologies developed by CURSOR may have other applications too, such as in law enforcement and other emergency situations where situational awareness is critical. However, one thing is certain: the SaR toolkit is a game-changer for search and rescue. Videos of CURSOR technologies at work can be seen on the project’s Youtube channel.
Keywords
CURSOR, search and rescue, first responder, SaR toolkit, drones, autonomous robot, SMURF
