ImPACT-TRC thin serpentine robot platform for urban search and rescue

Abstract

The Active Scope Camera has self-propelled mobility with a ciliary vibration drive mechanism for inspection tasks in narrow spaces but still lacks necessary mobility and sensing capabilities for search and rescue activities. The ImPACT-TRC program aims to improve the mobility of ASC drastically by applying a new air-jet actuation system to float ASC in the air and integrate multiple sensing systems, such as vision, auditory and tactile sensing functions, to enhance the searching ability. This paper reports an overview of the air-floating-type Active Scope Camera integrated with multiple sensory functions as a thin serpentine robot platform.