Urban Search and Rescue Checkpoint Feedback

1
Urban Search and RescueCheckpoint Feedback

• Carnegie Mellon University
• 16-311 Introduction to Robotics
• March 29th 2006

2
Checkpoint Performance

• 5 of 7 teams finished the checkpoint
• Average 75
• Median 95
• Mode 100

• Final Competition Tuesday April 4
• Preparation
• Checkpoint Feedback
• Presentation of Final Competition.

3
Checkpoint

• General Observations from Checkpoints
• Incline
• Nearly everyone was able to complete this
  obstacle.
• Bumps
• Nearly everyone was able to complete this
  obstacle.
• Stairs
• Many teams had difficulty, it is highly
  recommended this issue be resolved.
• Rubble
• Nearly everyone was able to complete this
  obstacle.
• Narrow Corridor
• Nearly everyone was able to complete this
  obstacle.
• Low Light
• No teams attempted this obstacle, highly
  recommend practice.

4
Difficulties

• Low ground clearance
• Robots getting hung up on rubble and bumps.
• Center of gravity
• Robots begin to climb stairs and inclines only to
  flip over.
• High torque wheels/treads
• Torque is good but so is speed.
• Size constraints
• If your robot changes dimension be sure you can
  still fit through narrow corridors.
• Fragile Designs
• If you lose any part of your robot during the
  competition your run is over.
• Grinding and/or clicking noises are never a good
  thing.
• Two words Drop Test
• Controllability Issues
• Low level controls make it difficult to precisely
  traverse the environment.

5
What Did Work

• Added weights
• Washers, Pennies, Pad Lock?
• Change the location of your center of mass
• Reinforced Robots
• Zip ties are your friend
• Twist ties and wires
• Camera
• Pan and tilt camera heads are great
• Zip tying the camera to your robot
• Visual marker to keep your frame of reference

6
Advice

• Try to drive without looking at the robot.
• Dont underestimate the value of sensors to
  eliminate blind spots.
• Be conscious of size and speed of the robot.
• The world will get worn down be prepared for
  it.
• Clicking, whining is a bad sign.

7
This just in.

• Hurricane has hit a remote site
• (Scaife Hall)
• Rescue teams will be
• arriving onsite Monday April 3rd
• commencing operations Tuesday April 4th.

8
Victims

• These individuals have been identified as being
  in the building at the time of eruption
• Howie
• Geist
• Avi
• Linda
• Brandon Boyd
• Dakota Fanning
• President Bush
• Johnny Depp

9
Satellite Images

• These images of the disaster area have been
  gathered from satellite information
• Zone 1
• Stability High
• Zone 2
• Stability High-Medium
• Zone 3
• Stability Low
• Zone 4
• Stability Low-Medium
• Zone 5
• Stability Low-Medium

10
Sneak Peek
11
Goal

• Your mission is to send your robots into these
  areas and using teleoperation to guide them
  through each zone identifying individuals and
  clearing zones.

12
Scoring

• Victims found in each zone are worth 7 points
  each.
• An additional 5 points will be awarded if the
  team can determine who the victim is (pictures
  will be provided).
• When a group is done with a zone, they have the
  opportunity to say whether they have cleared it
  or not. Cleared means they have found all
  victims in that zone. If a group claims they have
  found all victims, and they are right, they earn
  5 points. If a group claims they have found all
  victims, and they are wrong, they lose 5 points.
  No points are awarded for a group knowing that
  they have not found all victims in a zone.
• Zone 5 is the upper level of the world.

13
Demo Times

• The demos will be held on Tuesday April 4th in
  the REL
• Each team is allotted a total of fifteen minutes
  for their demo
• Five minutes for set up
• Ten minutes to search for victims
• A sign up sheet will be available immediately
  following this presentation at the front desk.
• Random lottery will determine order.

14
Words of Wisdom

• Dont forget to charge your batteries the night
  before the demo!!!
• Practice Practice Practice Practice Practice
  Practice Practice Practice Practice Practice
  Practice Practice Practice Practice Practice
  Practice Practice Practice Practice Practice
  Practice Practice Practice Practice Practice
  Practice Practice Practice Practice Practice
  Practice Practice Practice Practice Practice
  Practice Practice Practice Practice Practice
  Practice Practice Practice Practice Practice
  Practice Practice Practice Practice Practice
  Practice Practice Practice Practice Practice
  Practice Practice Practice Practice Practice
  Practice Practice Practice Practice Practice
  Practice

15
Questions?