A robot inspired by the movie Armageddon and developed by fourth-year engineering students of King Mongkut University of Technology North Bangkok (Prachin Buri campus) could one day be helping rescuers pluck survivors from disaster sites.
The rescue robot, dubbed "Independent", was inspired by one of the survey machines in the movie, according to team member Danucha Prasertsom.
Independent is an enhanced version of the team's robot that took the first prize in the Thailand Rescue Robot Championship 2004, which was organised by the Siam Cement Group, the Thai Robotics Society and Kasetsart University's Research and Development Institute for Industrial Production Technology.
Source : //www.bangkokpost.com/290605_Database/29June 2005_data 51.php Published on June 29, 2005
"We spent a further six months improving the functions and capacity of that robot," Danucha said.
Team-mates Thongchai Putsathude, Pinit Khunsuwong and consultant Adisai Duangkaw will now represent Thailand at the World Robocup Rescue 2005 in Japan, one of 27 teams from 11 countries.
The enhanced Independent has gone from a six-wheel to a ten-wheel robot in an effort to improve its ability to climb stairs and cross rough terrain. It also has two mechanical arms to lift itself when faced with large obstacles or steps.
The rescue robot has a camera that can move through 180-degrees and a microphone for survivors to transmit messages to the control room.
When it's on the move, software at a control room can draw a map based on data from a sensor, a compass and the distance travelled. It also has a heat sensor to detect if any bodies that it comes across are still alive. An ultrasonic system is integrated to measure the distance between the robot and the subject.
Team member Pinit Khunsuwong said the robot cannot touch a victim but can transfer important information to a rescue team, like live pictures, voice and body heat. It can also detect the quantity of carbon dioxide in order to let the rescue team know if the area is safe for breathing or whether a mask is needed, he noted.
The robot is controlled via a 5GHz wireless communication system.
"The frequency range is the standard used in Japan. It can transmit data over a distance of up to 100 meters and can be used well in a building," Pinit said, adding that the range is also stable and does not have noise.
He said the robot could be operated continuously for two hours, and it will send an alert message to the control room when the battery life drops to 20%.
"Our robot is ready for the competition," he said, although he added that there were still areas of concern. "We are worried about water and humidity because our robot is not resistance to these," he noted.
Funden Chanyathanakorn, a volunteer rescue worker with the Ruamkatanyu Foundation, said after seeing a demonstration that the rescue robot could certainly help reduce the risks for rescuers.
"The live pictures would be useful to let us know the real situation inside a building before entering," he said, noting that further developments could make it more useful.
"If the robot had a speaker, it would allow a doctor in a control room to let us know what to do with survivors, such as what medicine to give to the victims," he said.
Dr Prabhas Chongstitvatana, president of the Thai Robotics Society, said the rescue robot could be used in real life situations, such as taking pictures of potentially explosive objects or measuring chemical levels.
"We believe that the rescue robot competition will encourage undergraduates to improve their robotics skills," he noted.
Siam Cement Group (SCG) corporate communications director Matana Leongnarktongdee said the contest could stimulate innovation.
"We have also given the team a scholarship to further develop the Independent robot and sponsored them for the contest in Japan," she said.
SCG and the Thai Robotics Society will also hold the second Thailand Rescue Robot competition this year.
Details of the competition can be found at //www.siamcement.com or //www.trs.or.th.
you are amazed me!!! must be a genius
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