Photo courtesy of EKU/Justice and Safety Center
NEWSLETTER
The Newsletter of the First Responder Technologies Program
Volume 1 • Issue 6 • September 2008
To contact R-Tech
Email: [email protected]
IN THIS ISSUE
Special Robot Edition
From Fantasy to Reality
Robots Evolve to Help First Responders
When the Landshark Comes to Call
New Bomb Disposal Robot Offers
Inexpensive Alternative
Transformers
A New Generation of Smart Robots is in the Works
Raising the Bar
First Responders Help Set New Standards for Robots
The Responder Knowledge Base
Robot Procurement Requires Careful Research:
How RKB Can Help
This Newsletter discusses technologies of interest to first responders that have received funding, in part, from the Federal government. Mention of
these technologies should not be construed as an endorsement of either the technology, or the entity producing it, by the Federal government.
To download a copy of this newsletter, visit:
http://www.firstresponder.gov/Pages/NewsLetterPage.aspx?NewsLetter=current
Volume 1 • Issue 6 • September 2008
NEWSLETTER
The Newsletter of the First Responder Technologies Program
FROM FANTASY TO REALITY
Robots Evolve to Help First Responders
Early robots were larger, more rugged, and
carried a military price tag. The integration of
new technology into older-model robots can
be difficult due to space limitations and the
challenges of getting new components to work
with less-sophisticated technology, and upgrades
to such units are costly and time consuming.
Furthermore, parts are rarely interchangeable and
have limited sustainability. Even if a robot can
perform some tasks well, it is not useful unless it
can perform all of the tasks needed to complete
the mission.
Photo courtesy of Black-I Robotics
The idea of automated helpers has been with us since
the days of the Greek myths, when Haephestus, the
god of metalwork, created mechanical servants to
perform a variety of tasks. Since then, robots have
gone from fantasy to reality, and over the last few
decades, many types of robots have been developed
to assist first responders. For more than twenty years,
U.S. military bomb disposal robots have kept troops
out of harm’s way and filled a manpower shortage.
Robots have also been used in law enforcement
bomb squad units since the early 1990s. The use
of robots by other types of first responders is just
beginning. The first search and rescue robot was used
in New York City after the September 11, 2001 attacks,
and the first wireless remote-controlled firefighting
robots were used in Virginia in January 2007.
Next-generation robots are addressing these gaps
based on national assessments that identify the
needs of first responders. Requirements generally
include a low price, the ability to perform surveillance
and lift objects, good visual awareness for the user,
and clear signal transmission both indoors and
outdoors. Since so much of robot technology has
been developed for the military, programs have been
created to transfer the technology to first responder
use. For example, the Department of Defense (DoD)sponsored program, FirstLink, includes the Navy
robotics loan program for which the Space and Naval
Warfare Systems Center (SPAWAR) in San Diego lends
robots to first responders for a six-month trial. For
more information on the DoD FirstLink program,
visit www.dodfirstlink.com. For more information
about a hazmat robot that was part of this exchange,
see the June issue of the R-Tech Newsletter at
http://firstresponder.gov/Pages/NewsLetterPage.
aspx?NewsLetter=June%202008.pdf.
Photos courtesy of Black-I Robotics
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(From Fantasy to Reality continued)
A number of companies manufacture robots that
vary in size, from portable to tank-sized. Robots
may move by multi-wheel chassis or tracking treads.
Control mechanisms include radio frequency,
fiber optics, and even videogame joysticks. Some
robots currently in research and development can
even adapt their shape and size to complete a
multitude of tasks (see the robots featured in the
“Transformers” article in this issue).
Modular architecture improves the ability to
upgrade the units as new robot chassis are being
developed to allow the user to capitalize on a
wide array of available technologies. Robots
are also being configured to perform specific
missions, especially in HazMat, tactical law
enforcement, non-military explosive ordinance
disposal (EOD), firefighting, search and rescue,
security and surveillance, and casualty extraction.
Photos courtesy of NIST
Robots continue to play an increasingly important
role in the first-responder community, due in part
to new federal requirements. For example, current
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) certification
standards for bomb disposal squads require the use
of at least one robot, and bomb squads around the
country have agreed to have a robotic capability by
2009 in accordance with the National Strategic Plan
(see www.jointrobotics.com/Dec05/Tab%20D%20
-%20Heaven-Fuller.pdf). You may request a copy of
the National Strategic Plan by visiting www.nbscab.
org. In addition, the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) is sponsoring the development of
standards for both search and rescue and bomb
squad robots. When complete, these standards
will assist first responders in making procurement
decisions (see the “Raising the Bar” article in this issue).
Because of the increasing importance of robotics to
the first responder community, this issue of the R-Tech
Newsletter is dedicated to emerging robot technologies.
Photos courtesy of NIST
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Volume 1 • Issue 6 • September 2008
NEWSLETTER
The Newsletter of the First Responder Technologies Program
WHEN THE LANDSHARK
COMES TO CALL
New Bomb Disposal Robot Offers Inexpensive Alternative
Photo courtesy of Black-I Robotics
Using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technology,
a small company has built a mid-sized bomb
disposal robot that is half the cost of a conventional
robot. “With today’s tight budgets, robots are one
of the most expensive items a bomb squad must
purchase,” said Sgt. David Thompson, Bomb Squad
Commander of the Massachusetts State Police.
Moreover, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
certification standards for bomb disposal squads
require the use of at least one robot.
Black-I Robotics developed the robot, LandShark,
using inexpensive welded steel, German motors,
two heavy-duty car batteries, and open-source
software. The only component that is not offthe-shelf is the controller system. LandShark
has the same guidance and surveillance system
used in other bomb-detecting robots, making it
compatible with equipment already in use.
The mid-sized LandShark is four feet long
and weighs 450 pounds when loaded with
conventional batteries and can push a vehicle
weighing up to 11,000 pounds over a short
distance – an ability existing military robots
do not have. Over longer distances, it can also
pull or carry up to 300 pounds. In addition, the
chassis is technologically scalable, which means
it can be paired with other technologies, such
as sniper-detection sonar, bomb detectors, and
minesweeping gear. There is now even a gasoline/
electric hybrid model.
Building unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) for
the military and first responders dealing with
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(When the Landshark Comes to Call continued)
improvised explosive devices (IEDs) became
Black-I Robotics founder Brian Hart’s mission after
the death of his 20-year-old son, John. John was
killed in Iraq when a roadside explosion hit his
unarmored military vehicle. In April 2005, Hart
also saw a lance corporal die while attempting to
push a car bomb off a road with his Humvee. These
events prompted Hart and his brother, Richard, to
start Black-I Robotics and spend three years building
prototypes using their own money.
With recent funding from the Technical Support
Working Group (TSWG), Hart has completed three
advanced prototypes for different applications. One
prototype will be evaluated by the Naval Surface
Warfare Center (NSWC), another will be evaluated
by Sandia National Laboratory for technology
integration, and a third prototype will be evaluated
by Sgt. Thompson and the Massachusetts State Police
Bomb Squad at Logan International Airport in bomb
disposal and car disruption bombs.
For more information on the LandShark, visit
www.blackirobotics.com.
TRANSFORMERS
A New Generation of Smart Robots is in the Works
While many robots are designed to assist first
responders, at times they cannot be deployed because
they are either too large to gain access to a hazard,
or they are not able to traverse the terrain. These
obstacles will be overcome by a new generation of
robots that will be able to reconfigure their size, shape,
and movement based on their environment. These
robots will be multi-functional and no longer limited
by their physical dimensions. This innovation has
important implications for a variety of applications,
including first responder situations.
Researchers at the University of Southern California
(USC) have constructed a reconfigurable robot
Photo courtesy of Black-I Robotics
called “Superbot” with funding from the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Superbot comprises a series of autonomous
robots which can link together in a variety of forms
and react to their surroundings. The system was
originally designed for space exploration but would
lend itself to a multitude of first responder scenarios,
including disaster assessment, HazMat incidents,
fires, and search and rescue.
According to Dr. Wei-Min Shen, Director of
Polymorphic Robotics Laboratory at USC, the
autonomous robots communicate with each other,
so each one knows the configuration of the whole
and where it is in relation to the other modules.
The robots are also programmed to identify how
they can move within each configuration. If they
are linked together in a chain, they can move like
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NEWSLETTER
The Newsletter of the First Responder Technologies Program
(Transformers continued)
a snake or caterpillar. When they are connected end
to end in a circle, they will roll like a ball. If a robot is in
the position of a leg or arm, it will act as a leg or an arm.
Dr. Shen’s ultimate goal is for the robots to be able to
assess their environment on their own and choose the
configuration that best matches the situation.
Dr. Shen’s team has already built thirty modules and
tested them in activities such as climbing ropes,
slithering up hills, rolling across expanses, and carrying
cameras. After 100 of the individual robot components
are built, researchers will field test them by dropping
them from a plane into a desert where they will conduct
exercises designed to test their ability to overcome
obstacles autonomously. Demonstrations of the
Superbot in motion can be viewed at www.isi.edu/
robots/superbot.htm.
Other robotic technologies under development are
based on different ideas. For example, researchers
at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
College of Engineering Robotics and Mechanisms
Laboratory (RoMeLa), led by Dr. Dennis Hong, are
creating a robotic locomotion system inspired by the
movements of amoebas. Amoebas move by a process
known as cytoplasmic streaming (see illustration),
a mechanism that the RoMeLa team is attempting
to translate into a mechanical model that moves by
turning itself inside out. Being able to do this would
ultimately enable a robot to squeeze into spaces much
smaller than its actual dimensions.
Illustration courtesy of RoMeLa
The pseudopod of an amoeba moves forward by everting its
endoplasm at the hyaline cap, where it flows as ectoplasm around
the outer survace and re-enters the endoplasm at the uroid
With funding from the National Science Foundation
(NSF), Dr. Hong has taken several different approaches
to developing his Whole Skin Locomotion (WSL) system.
One approach employs a tape-spring mechanism for
Photo Courtesy of Polymorphic Robotics Laboratory at USC
the body and uses an alloy with shape-remembering
properties to generate motion. A second approach,
which at this stage is highly experimental, relies
on chemical reactions to generate motion. A third
approach is a mechanical process that uses flexible
helix cords with rollers and an electrical motor. “The
flexible helix cord approach will be the first to be a
practical robot, I believe,” said Dr. Hong. He and his
team are focusing on the design and fabrication of
this model. For more information about the work
at RoMeLa, visit www.me.vt.edu/romela/RoMeLa/
Research.html.
The next stage in robotic evolution will be the
creation of “chembots” – robots that combine soft
materials chemistry with robotics to create soft,
pliable robots able to squeeze into small spaces and
then return to their normal size. Tufts University
recently received funding from the Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to
develop such robots. Dr. Barry Trimmer, director of
the Tufts Biomimetic Devices Laboratory, is basing
his work in this area on the growth patterns of
caterpillars, which are able to grow to their adult size
– 10,000 times the size of their larval stage – without
a corresponding increase in the number of muscles
or motor neurons.
With these and other technological developments,
the next generation of robots will be not only
smarter, but also more agile.
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Volume 1 • Issue 6 • September 2008
NEWSLETTER
The Newsletter of the First Responder Technologies Program
RAISING THE BAR
First Responders Help Set New Standards for Robots
Photos courtesy of NIST
In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks,
several first responder agencies, including the
New York City Fire Department (FDNY), obtained
and deployed robots developed by the Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to assist
them in their building collapse search and rescue
missions. However, operators quickly discovered
that the latest robotic technologies were not ready
for such missions. First responders and the federal
government determined that they must develop
standards so manufacturers could get an accurate
picture of first responder requirements for various
mission types. To that end, the U.S. Department
of Homeland Security (DHS) sponsored the
development of performance standards for urban
search and rescue (USAR) robots by the National
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
NIST began the task by collecting more than 100
individual requirements from DHS Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) USAR task forces. “We
sought the input of emergency responders for search
and rescue robots because there weren’t existing
performance requirements. Bomb squads already had
a body of literature available for what they needed
because they have had robots for a while,” said Adam
Jacoff, NIST Robotics Research Engineer. Jacoff’s team
is formulating test methods based upon the collected
requirements to qualify the performance of both
USAR and bomb squad robots. The test methods
ultimately selected will likely be applied to both types
of response robots. Both will be subjected to similar
rigors, and both will require similar types of metrics, such
as endurance, mobility, and manipulator dexterity.
For each requirement, first responders will define a
system for measuring performance. For example, one
of the requirements is ease of maintenance. Robots
not requiring tools and having parts that snap or screw
together would be judged more favorably than those
requiring special tools. The information collected by NIST
will help consumers make procurement decisions, as they
will understand how a particular robot will affect logistics,
planning, and operations. It is also hoped that robotics
requirements such as weight, size, and necessary tools,
when highlighted by written standards, will encourage
manufacturers to consider lighter weights, as well as
simplified tool kits and shorter set-up times.
In order to develop the standards, NIST hosts response
robot evaluation exercises to allow manufacturers to
observe first responders interacting directly with their
technology. The events allow users and developers
to arrive at a common understanding of performance
requirements for various scenarios while refining
prototype robot test methods that can be used for
practice and training. Three standards have been set so
far. The first standard defines terminology. The second
determines how robots will be stored and deployed, and
the third addresses visual acuity.
Practice for Evaluating Cache Packaged Weight and
Volume of Robots for Urban Search and Rescue, the
second standard, addresses responders’ desire to know
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NEWSLETTER
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(Raising the Bar continued)
how many batteries to bring, what tools are required,
and how long it will take to set up the robot before
it can be deployed. According to the standard, the
shipping container must contain all the materials
necessary to deploy for at least 72 hours without
resupply, and specialized tools are discouraged. “When
you’re down-range, if something breaks, you want to
be able to repair it right there if at all possible and not
have to waste time finding the right tool,” said Jacoff.
This standard not only helps first responders know if a
robot will suit their needs, it helps developers identify
their manufacturing goals. “How many boxes does
it come in? What do they weigh? How long does it
take to set up the robot before it goes down-range?
Those sometimes-competing ideas provide a design
challenge for developers,” Jacoff added.
Photo courtesy of NIST
The third standard, regarding visual acuity, requires
testing in both darkness and daylight using the entire
robot system, including its cameras under variable
illumination conditions, its communications devices,
and the remote operator display. “If responders
locate a HazMat label, they need to be able to read
it – the color, the text, and the icons – and the robot
system needs to have the visual acuity to do this,”
said Jacoff. To accomplish this, robots need a color
camera and variable lighting down range. However,
the visual acuity requirements differ for different types
of response scenarios. For example, first responders
performing initial reconnaissance at a disaster scene
might need to clear a room where little visual acuity
is necessary. Bomb squads might need more clarity
to read small shipping labels on suspicious packages.
Structural engineers in a collapse may even require
zoom lenses to see small cracks in supporting columns
at a distance.
Photo courtesy of NIST
NIST will not condemn a product if it lacks a particular
ability. Rather, it informs manufacturers of the
requirements first responders have and thresholds that
should be met.
The test methods must accommodate and measure
the entire range of needs. According to NIST, the
new consensus standards are measuring devices that
meet the needs of all disciplines and mission types.
Additional standards under consideration include
communications, sensors, safety, human-system
interaction, and mobility. First responders working
with NIST on mobility standards are establishing
realistic tests. “Stairs are often wet and slippery, can
have objects on them like fire hoses, or have pieces
missing,” said Jacoff. The team is therefore testing
different inclines and surfaces, and making the robot
climb at least ten times so they can use the average
time as a performance measure. In addition, all
robots are tested via remote teleoperation where the
operator cannot be seen or heard.
It is hoped that robots will one day be widely used in
dangerous situations, thus diminishing the risk to first
responders while improving their effectiveness. NIST
will host the next response robot evaluation exercise in
November 2008 at Disaster City, a USAR training facility
located at Texas A&M University in College Station,
Texas – the home to the FEMA USAR team Texas Task
Force 1 (TX-TF1).
For more information on the NIST standards, go to www.
astm.org or www.isd.mel.nist.gov/US&R_Robot_Standards.
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Volume 1 • Issue 6 • September 2008
NEWSLETTER
The Newsletter of the First Responder Technologies Program
THE RESPONDER KNOWLEDGE BASE
Robot Procurement Requires Careful Research: How RKB Can Help
requirement(s) (e.g., explosive detection, search
and rescue, video surveillance, etc.) should
be evaluated. A quick look at the items on
the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) Authorized Equipment List (AEL)
containing the word “robot” shows several items,
such as robots; remotely piloted vehicles; and
attachments/tools, including those for search and
rescue operations. The AEL items provide another
way to navigate RKB, showing related products,
standards, and other information that will suggest
further RKB searches.
Photo courtesy of NIST
The Responder Knowledge Base (RKB) has several useful
features to help the first responder community learn
more about robots. The simplest approach is a keyword
search. To see all of RKB’s robot information, simply type
“robot” into the keyword search box in the upper-right
corner of the screen. The left side of the screen will then
show results in multiple RKB content categories.
An important consideration in evaluating robots is
that for any given mission, both a robotic platform
and “payload” that actually fulfills the mission
RKB also lists other types of robots and related
information, such as applicable grants (through
the FEMA AEL), operational assessments,
standards, and relevant studies by NIST and the
Technical Support Working Group (TSWG). For
example, users can find on RKB a paper published
by NIST entitled “Conflicting Signals Can Confuse
Rescue Robots.” Using the research tools, the
Website can also assist in evaluating potential
operational problems before committing to a
specific product.
Procuring a robot system requires careful mission
evaluation and a great deal of research. RKB helps
by providing not only product descriptions but
related items that will help first responders choose
the right system for specific missions.
If you have any suggestions, comments, or questions
regarding this or any other feature of RKB, please do
not hesitate to contact RKB by e-mail at [email protected] or
telephone at (703) 641-2078.
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