Information architecture for sensor and mobile robotic systems facing the humanitarian demining problem

The development of a robotics system not only depends on the technical aspects and modular components allowing the correct design of the remote controlled platforms(s); the application related constraints have also to be carefully analysed in order to achieve the success of the whole system. The constraints related to the humanitarian demining, and more generally to outdoor applications, may be summarised as follows: a high level of protection against the environmental conditions (dust, humidity, temperature, etc), protection and resistance against vibration and mechanical shocks, long and continuous operation time between battery charging/changing or refuelling, wireless communication range depending on the terrain and minefield location, low cost, affordable prices by use of off-the-shelf components (typical constraint for HUDEM due to the lack of a real commercial market), high reliability, fail-safeness, easy maintenance, easy to use, application of matured technology