Distributed sensors for hazard detection in an urban search and rescue operation

Urban search and rescue is a dangerous and difficult task. The amount of information required to mount a rescue is staggering. This coupled with the time constraints of a rescue operation, mean that decisions are sometimes made without all the facts. Gas leaks or structural weaknesses put everyone in danger and can be difficult to detect without being in the environment itself. Robots can penetrate these disaster zones much more easily than humans or dogs and can detect unseen hazards like gas or radiation or can relay images of structural supports. By using robots we can quickly increase the amount of information available to first responders and help them make informed decisions that see more lives saved. The research at Massey University aims to build a system that will provide, amongst other features, a distributed sensor network that can monitor environmental factors and report them to the rescue team. This paper outlines the concept of these sensors, or Daughters, and the results of the tests on the sensors implemented.