Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) website. It has been reprinted here with permission.
Over the course of four August days, a team from S&T’s National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL), PNNL, and federal, state, and local agencies, set out a gauntlet of simulated emergency scenarios to assess the operational capabilities of three unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) systems. The evaluation, like the many others conducted through NUSTL’s System Assessment and Validation for Emergency Responders (SAVER) program, allowed participants to get a feel for the technologies and their functionality to better inform purchasing decisions.
Responders from six states participated in the testing at the Environmental Protection Agency Region 2 Laboratory in Edison, New Jersey. The SAVER team designed three simulated emergency scenarios that mirrored what they might encounter on the job: a hazardous materials (HAZMAT) incident, a disaster search and rescue response, and an emergency medical services (EMS) victim identification and assessment. And then they went to work. Representatives from each of the UGV companies were also on-site to provide support along the way.
“This assessment of UGVs is a direct result of input from emergency responders from a diverse set of agencies and missions, highlighting how useful these technologies can be in a broad scope of operations,” said NUSTL Test Lead Tyler Mackanin. “It was important to assess these evolving systems in various operational scenarios to gauge how they would perform for any agency looking to mitigate risks to their personnel in hazardous conditions and life-threatening environments.”
Following is an exclusive look at how each of the scenarios played out and some of the evaluation criteria.
Surveying a HAZMAT incident from a safe standoff distance
An old warehouse on the EPA laboratory campus served as the site of a simulated chemical spill. In this exercise, The SAVER team set up barrels labeled as hazardous materials and a controlled mock spill (using non-toxic essential oil), and evaluators remotely deployed the UGVs as they would normally in response to a leak at an industrial facility or in a transport incident.
Using handheld controllers, participants navigated the ‘spills,’ props, and barriers in the contaminated area. They also used the UGVs for lifting, moving, and transporting objects.
“These technologies can be equipped with sensors that can identify hazardous chemicals and relay critical data back to teams positioned at safe remote distances, enabling them to determine the best approach for containment and mitigation,” said Mackanin.
The team took responder input to heart when selecting models for testing. Specific requests included UGVs with a manipulator arm for various tasks like opening doors (like this Ghost Robotics Vision 60 is doing) or handling objects, as well adaptable communications systems for network compatibility and swappable, quick charging batteries to ensure continuous operation.
Photo/NUSTL
Enhancing disaster response in treacherous terrain
In this outdoor exercise, a rubble pile simulated a post-disaster building collapse search and rescue reconnaissance and recovery scenario. Participants navigated UGVs through piles of debris to capture visual and sensor data and locate trapped individuals. In addition to providing overall situational awareness, this kind of technology gives responders a leg (or four) up on accessing tight, potentially unstable spaces.
“UGVs can reach areas inaccessible or potentially harmful to human rescuers, allowing teams to scout for hazards and safe entry points to make real-time, informed decisions about how to proceed,” said Mackanin.
As the UGVs navigated through concrete, metal, gravel, tall weeds and dirt at various inclines, they picked up and moved objects and located mock victims (manikins) while transmitting live video and sensor data back to the operator control units. Among the things responders tested in this exercise were each system’s arm strength, operational range, cameras, and command and control communication.
Supporting responders and victims during a medical emergency
When every second counts, getting to chaotic incident scenes and deploying medical care fast can be a matter of life and death. In this third exercise, evaluators sent the three UGVs into a building with stairs, obstacles, and confined spaces to quickly locate and assess the condition of mock victims.
“This is another great example of how cameras and sensors can provide data to guide responders in planning rescue efforts,” said Mackanin. “UGVs can minimize the risk to responders and enable communication with individuals in distress before it’s safe for EMS personnel to enter with the necessary equipment.”
Responders evaluated each of the UGVs using standard SAVER evaluation categories, including capability, usability and deployability, as well as specific criteria related to battery life, maneuverability, portability, arm strength/reach, user interface, RF interoperability and overall ease of use. Another responder requirement: the ability to climb and descend a switchback staircase.
Photo/NUSTL
The multi-story building location was meant to simulate a small corporate office or residential building with role players stationed as ‘victims’ at various locations. The evaluators used semi-autonomous functions and remote operation to navigate the UGVs to locate them, communicate with them to assess their condition, and transmit data to back to the operator control unit outside.
At the conclusion of the exercises, data collectors and subject matter experts did a deep dive with the responder evaluators to capture their feedback on 20 evaluation criteria in three categories: capability, usability, and deployability. NUSTL will soon release the assessment results, along with other UGV reports, on the SAVER page on S&T’s website.
