Improvement of the Emergency Risk Management Through Secure Mobile Mechatronic Support to Bomb Disposal

The RESCUER project focuses on the development of an intelligent Information and Communication Technology and mechatronic Emergency Risk Management tool and on testing it in five Improvised Explosive Device Disposal, and Civil Protection Rescue Mission scenarios. The project output will include guidance for management of risk, which extends the range of interventions possible beyond those, which are currently considered. The extended range of interventions will include tasks which are too risky at present to commit human involvement, tasks where access might not be possible without ICT and mechatronic support, tasks where such support would significantly enhance the speed, accuracy or range of tasks/sensors especially in EOD, IEDD, significant toxic/radiation/flammable/explosive contamination, mechanical failure and other relevant hazardous situations or combinations of hazards.

RESCUER is an intelligent mechatronic system capable of achieving given goals under conditions of uncertainty. In contrast to existing automated bomb disarming systems, which are, by definition, pre-programmed to deliver given behaviour and are therefore predictable, RESCUER may arrive at specified goals in a non-deterministic manner. This is possible due to RESCUER’s improved flexibility, dexterity and intelligence comparable to a human rescue specialist.

RESCUER system will include multifunctional tools, two simultaneously working robot arms with dextrous grippers, smart sensors for ordnance, for human detection and for the assessment of the environment, autonomous vehicle and advanced information and communication facilities that will lead to improvement of the emergency risk management. RESCUER will implement the Emergency Risk Management Monitoring and Advising System that will integrate the information flows from the different sources, generate decisions, and build a secure wireless communication between the rescue specialist, the Risk Management Centres and the mobile device.