In this study, a module combining various types of sensors was developed to increase search efficiency inside collapsed buildings. It was designed to be less than 70 mm in diameter so that it can be put into narrow spaces, and is equipped with a small & high-performance processor to process multiple sensor data. To increase sensor data processing efficiency, multi thread based software was configured, and the images were combined and transmitted to ensure time synchronization of multi-channel video data. A human detection function based on sound source detection using two microphones was implemented. The developed multi-sensor module was tested for operation by mounting it on a snake-type robot in a test bed simulating a disaster site. It was confirmed that the visible range of the robot to which the multi-sensor module was applied was expanded, and the ability to detect human and low-light human detect was secured.

This paper proposes an integrated control system for multi-disaster response robots based on Robot Operating System (ROS). The contributions of this paper were as follows: 1) A multi-score-based system concept was proposed in consideration of network instability issues which might frequently occur in compound disaster environments; 2) A detailed ROS based software structure was implemented to apply the proposed system to real robots; 3) Hardware cockpit and graphical user interface (GUI) for an operator were implemented; 4) through the experiment, the problem of the system based on common ROS structure, the out-of-control state, was confirmed and we verified the proposed system using the scenario.

With increasing demand for disaster response robots, many governments projects have been launched to ensure safety for citizens. This paper reviews government policies and research trends on disaster response robots. To give a bird"s eye view on disaster response robots, we first reviewed foreign technologies. We then introduced recent technologies developed in Korea and some ongoing researches on disaster response robots.