1

2
 n o f l i v i n g
e n t i f i c ati o
i o n and i d
• D e t e c t
i e s d e b r i s in
bo d a r i n g o f
g or c l e
• R o u t i n v i c tim
c e s s i n g t h e
r m e d i cal
ac t i o n a l , o by
l , e m o u r v i v o r
• Physica tion of the s tomatically
stabiliza t o au
e r e d f irst
bringin g t e l em e t
t e red a n d
a d m i n i s
b o d y f or
aid f t h e l i v ing l l i n g
t i o n o a n y f a
• Fortificaretrieval against s
secure d possible injurie
debris an n of t h e v i c t i m .
o r t a t i o
• Transp
3
 Robotic rescue devices have to work in
extremely unstructured and technically challenging
areas shaped by natural forces. One of the major
requirements of rescue robot design is the flexibility of
the design for different rescue usage in disaster areas
of varying properties

4
CONTINUED….

Rescue robots should be

equipped with a multitude of
sensors of different types and
resolution since detection,
identification, and tracking of
survivors should continuously be
performed

They need to be robust in data

acquisition, with enough
intelligence to minimize errors
and orient themselves towards 5
6
Sensors
Parts for measuring
position/orientations of the serpentine
robots and the environment.
Internal sensors: sensors for dead-
reckoning, i.e. measuring position and
orientation, velocities of the
serpentine robots
External sensors: sensors for
measuring the information of the
environment and for interacting with
humans.
Sensors installed in the environment
for localization, etc. 7
 Sensors – IR
Active (emitting)
◦ Oscillator generates IR reflections off
objects
◦ Filtered receiver looks for “reflections”
◦ Pulses may be encoded for better
discrimination
◦ Typically frequencies around 40KHz
◦ Doesn’t work well with dark, flat colored
objects

Passive (sensor only)

◦ Pyro-electric (heat sensor)
◦ Look for IR emissions from people & 8
Infrared - Active

9
 Active IR Sensor Specs
Sensor type = Reflective IR
IR detector = Panasonic PNA4602M
IR LED type = Narrow focus 10º
I/O required = 3 digital lines: 2 outputs, 1
input
Range = Approximately 4“ to 26"
Input voltage = 5vdc regulated @ 8mA
PC board size = 2.3" x .75"

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Linear Array IR Range
Sensors
Sharp GP2Dxx (one of many)
~4 to 30cm Range
Fixed Range with Discrete Output
Analog or Digital Output
Easy to Use

11
 Passive IR – Pyro-Electric

The Model 442-3 IR-EYE is a Lithium Tantalate pyroelectric parallel

opposed dual-element high-gain detector with complete integral analog
signal processing. 12
 Sensors – Ultrasonic
Active
◦ Emit pulses & listen for echos
◦ Times round trip sound travel (~1ft/mS)
◦ Reaches far fairly beyond robot (inches to
30-50’)
◦ Relatively simple, not cheap, analog outpu
◦ Directional; not everything reflects sound
well

Passive (listens only)

◦ Sensor listens for ultrasonic sounds
◦ Electronics may translate frequency or
modulation 13
Ultrasonic - Active

14
Sensors – Ultrasonic (cont.)
Passive - Beacons & Sensors
◦ Beacons listen: RF command to broadcas
Send light & sound pulses
Robot looks & listens for each beacon
Light pulse starts timer, sound pulse stops it
◦ Robot knows location of each beacon
◦ Compass on robot provides its orientation
Robot computes distance, measures bearing
◦ Robot can then compute its location

(Speed of Light=1 ft/nS, Speed of

Sound=1ft/mS)
15
Ultrasonic - Passive
Beacon
Beacon 3
1 Sound Pulse
Sound Pulse
Light
Pulse
Light
Pulse
Robot
Sound Pulse
BEACON ROBOT Light
Pulse
RF Receiver RF Transmitter
Beacon
IR Emitter IR Receiver 2
Ultrasonic Ultrasonic
Emitter Receiver
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Locomotion
Mechanical and electrical parts
realizing motion
Major mobility considerations
◦ Maneuverability: ability to change speed
and direction; ability to climb stairs, slopes,
etc; ability to move in terrain
◦ Stability: must not fall over during motion
◦ Controllability: How easy to control
◦ Navigation ability: accuracy of dead-
reckoning
◦ Power efficiency: Less power consumption
◦ Others: maintenance, etc
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Snake Locomotion
Crawling Swiming Pipe

Climbing Stairs Rolling

18
 This section presents multisensor-
based online path planning of a serpentine
robot in the unstructured, changing
environment of earthquake rubble during
the search of living bodies. The robot
presented in this section is composed of
six identical segments joined together
through a two-way, two degrees-of-
freedom (DOF) joint enabling yaw and
pitch rotation

19
CONTINUED….

The robot configuration of this

section results in 12 controllable DOF.
An ultrasound sensor, used for
detecting the obstacles, and a thermal
camera are located in the first
segment (head). The camera is in a
dust free, anti shock casting and
operates intermittently when needed.
Twelve infrared (IR) sensors (Six pairs)
are located on the left and right of the
joints of the robot along its body
20
•The modified distance transform (MDT) is the original
distance transform method modified for snake robot
such that the goal cell is turned in to a valley of zero
values within which the serpentine robot can match.
Other modifications are also made to render the
method on line
•This modification of partitioning the distance
transform (DT) application into goal oriented and
range-data oriented speeds up the planning
considerably, rendering it online

21
CONTINUED….
Distance transform is first
computed for the line of sight
directed towards the intermediate
goal, without taking into account
sensorial data about obstacles and
free space. This is the goal-oriented
planning.
The obstacle cells are
superimposed on the cellular
workspace. This modification to the
original distance transform 22
The major aim of the serpentine search robot is to find and identify living
beings under rubble and lock onto their signals until they are reached.
Therefore, local map building is an essential component of our path planning
approach
The local map is used to find the next desired position of the robot on its way
to a goal, the living being, placed in an initially unknown but detected location.

23
CONTINUED….

24
CONTINUED….

25
 SERPENTINE GAITS OF THE SEARCH
ROBOT
 The locomotion of the snake-like robot is achieved by
adapting the natural snake motions to the
multisegment robot configuration. For the current
implementation, the robot has four possible gaits that
result in four possible next states.
The locomotion
 Move forward of the
withsnake-like robot
rectilinear is achieved
motion by adapting
or lateral
the natural undulation
snake motions (twoto separate
the multisegment robot
gaits): In configuration.
rectilinear For
motion,
the current the segments displace
implementation, the robotthemselves as waves
has four possible on the
gaits that result
vertical
in four possible next axis.
states.In lateral undulation, the snake
segments follow lines of propagating waves in the
horizontal 2-D plane.
•Move forward
 Move with rectilinear motion or lateral undulation (two separate
right/left with flapping motion (flap right/left): In
gaits): In rectilinear
flapping, two motion,
bodythe segments
parts displace
of the robot themselves
undergo a as
waves on the vertical
rowing axis. in
motion In the
lateral undulation,
horizontal the with
plane snakerespect
segmentsto
follow lines its center jointwaves
of propagating and then
in thepull that center.
horizontal This results
2-D plane
in parallel offset displacement.
 Change of direction right/left with respect to the pivot
located near the middle of the robot: The robot
undergoes a rotation in the horizontal plane to the
right or left with respect to the joint at or nearest to
the middle of the snake. 26
CONTINUED….
Move right/left with flapping motion
(flap right/left): In flapping, two
body parts of the robot undergo a
rowing motion in the horizontal
plane with respect to its center joint
and then pull that center. This
results in parallel offset
displacement.
Change of direction right/left with
respect to the pivot located near
the middle of the robot: The robot
undergoes a rotation in the
horizontal plane to the right or left
with respect to the joint at or 27
MULTISENSOR ONLINE
SERPENTINE PATH PLANNING
 The ultrasound sensor scans to determine
obstacles and free space and develops a local
map. Thus, sensory data constructs a local map
within this sensor range.. In real applications, the
direction that gives the highest signal energy
(thermal, sound) received from the goal (living
being) is selected as an intermediate goal. The
intermittent function of the camera is also used
for choosing the most appropriate intermediate
goal. However, in the simulation here, we
represent, for illustrative purposes, the
magnitude of the signals coming from the main
goal as inversely proportional to the distance
between sensor and goal. Thus, this distance
becomes minimum when the robot sensor faces
the goal. that is an emulation of the maximum
signal energy coming from the goal.

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PATH PLANNING ALGORITHM

29
CONTINUED….

30
MAP BUILDING
 Local map building is an essential
component of our path planning approach.

31
32
 simulation results shows the displacement of
the snake-robot among obstacles. This sample
shows the path followed by the robot as composed of
lines and arcs that are the result of the serpentine
gaits used by the snake like robot. Straight lines in
the direction of the robot are formed by rectilinear
motion. Short lines deviating from the main path are
formed by flapping motions. The arcs on the path are
formed by rotational motion.

33
ROBOT MOVEMENTS IN
LOCAL MAP

34
 Rescue applications in
disaster scenarios require robotic
mechanisms to be hyper- redundant
mechanisms that allows the
mechanisms to effectively adapt to
uncertain circumstances and carry out
required activates with necessary
flexibility. The basic units are
concatenate in series to create a simple
yet flexible hyper-redundant robotic
prototype 35
CONTINUED….
 The specifications of the basic components
of the units are made of super-duralumin
alloy get a lightweight structure. The
nominal size of the fabrication units is 82 X
82 X 67 mm with a weight of 300gms. The
units have a single joint of 1DOF.This units
are equipped with stepper motor to drive the
joints, making it possible to have position as
well as velocity control of the joint
movements

36
•Twisting mode: In this mode, the robot mechanism folds certain
joints to generate a twisting motion within its body, resulting in a
side-wise movement.
•Wheeled-locomotion mode: This is one of the common
wheeled-locomotion modes where passive wheels (without direct
drive) are attached on the units, resulting in low friction along the
tangential direction of the robot body line and increasing the
friction in the direction perpendicular .
•Bridge mode: In this mode the robot configures itself to “stand”
on its two end units in a bridge-like shape. This mode has the
possibility of implementing two-legged walking-type locomotion.
The basic movement consists of left-right swaying of the center of
gravity in synchronism by lifting and forwarding one of the
supports like, bipeclal locomotion. Motions such as somersaulting
may be other possibilities.

37
SERPENTINE GAITS

38
 APPLICATIONS
 Bridge inspection
 The proposed research will develop and innovative
technology which resolves these short comings.
Instead, an inspector, sitting in a truck on the bridge
roadbed, will control a robot which can "view" the
entire bridge through a sensor suite deployed at the
end of the robot. This system would reduce the cost of
bridge inspection, increase the safety factor, provide
better views of the bridge, improve the quality of
information, and as an added benefit, decrease traffic
delays that are a result of such an operation.
 
 Rescue operation under trench
 Another SAR application that has received little
attention is the rescue of victims in a trench collapse.
This is not usually the result of a major disaster like an
earthquake, rather these collapses occur while
workmen are digging or fixing pipes or other
underground equipment. Because this is more
mundane, it receives less press, however the
frequency of this accident is much higher. Small robots 39
ADVANTAGES
Small in size and weight
Versatility
Reliability

40
DISADVANTAGES

Cannot optimize its own path

Hard to control

41
Conclusion
SAR robotics is aiming at
developing dexterous device equipped
with the ability to learn from prior
rescue experience that are adaptable
to variable types of usage with a wide
enough gait functionality under
different sensing modules an are
compliant to the environmental and
victim’s conditions Multi—agent
systems are, likewise, focusing on
adaptability multifunctionality through
modularity, and dexterity, where
intelligence is the basic property of
the agents. 42
REFERENCES

 T. Kamegawa, F. Matsuno, and R.

Chatterjee, “Proposition of twisting
mode of locomotion and GA based
motion planning for transition of
locomotion modes of 3-dimensional
snake-like robot,” in Proc. IEEE Int.
Conf. Robotics and Automation,
2006, vol.2, pp. 1507-1512.
 www.Serpentine robots.com
 www.howstuffworks.com

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44
QUESTIONS ?..

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