The Problem- In today’s industrialized world, accidents are bound to happen in any environment, regardless of how carefully people go about their jobs. Many people today work in dangerous or harsh environments, and rescuing injured or trapped workers from such environments endangers rescue personnel and equipment. In aquatic environments, rescuing people poses an especially difficult challenge, since the water itself could be a hazard. Drowning can be a risk, as well as dangerous waves or oil slick on the water surface. In an aquatic emergency scenario, specialized equipment is needed if people are to be rescued quickly and safely with as little danger to rescue personnel as possible.
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| Shipwrecks often incorporate several risks, and sometimes the risk of human life is too great to send personnel in to assist |
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Spilled oil presents a hazard to rescue personnel when operating near shipwrecks or damaged drilling platforms
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| Boating accidents can put sailors and rescue workers in danger |
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| Accidents are bound to happen, so we must continually find safer and more efficient ways to deal with them |
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| Sometimes weather or other conditions can prevent rescue operations |
People involved- Rescue workers around the world work in dangerous and hazardous conditions to save
people and property from disaster situations. These people include firefighters, dock workers, coast guard members, emergency responders, and other emergency personnel. The images below illustrate those who would benefit from technology related to this problem:
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| Rescue workers often endanger their own lives to save others |
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The Coast Guard regularly performs emergency and rescue operations in aquatic environments\
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| Sailors and dockworkers are endangered and accidents can prompt rescue workers to endanger themselves to save others |
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A Coast Guard vessel tows a sinking cargo ship |
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Coast Guard helicopter performing a rescue operation on a stranded yacht |
The need for robotics- As technology has advanced, mankind has always sought to improve the efficiency and safety of performing a task. In the 21st century, the evolution of robotics technology has allowed humans to carry out very dangerous, strenuous, or meticulous tasks without ever endangering themselves or exerting their bodies. From car manufacturing to underwater exploration, robots and ROV’s have revolutionized many activities. Robots can go places humans could never go to, and can travel through flames and extreme depths to accomplish tasks. With the use of robotics, rescuing people and recovering property from accidents and disasters can be done without endangering the lives of rescue workers.
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| Robots can work more quickly and efficiently than humans, and accomplish more strenuous tasks |
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| Robots, like those that explored the Titanic, can withstand extreme depths and temperatures |
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| The military uses robots for reconnaisance operations, because they can enter dangerous territory without threat to humans |
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| Though their intention is to rescue others, rescue personnel are often placed in danger themselves |
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| By protecting rescue workers, we can rescue people more quickly and efficiently, potentially saving more lives |
Mood of design- This design is based off of an emergency rescue or recovery scenario. Therefore, this design will reflect the mood of rescue or emergency equipment. It will possess characteristics such as bright color and safety/rescue equipment. It must also contain few removable parts and a simplistic design, to make it easy to assemble or repair in a hurried situation. The following are examples of these characteristics in existing products.
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| Emergency supplies are often brightly colored and marked with commonly recognized symbols. |
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| Emergency equipment must be easily distinguishable so survivors and rescue workers can find it quickly |
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| Equipment, like the tents pictured above, must be easy to transport and assemble, and have as few parts as possible |
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| Fire hydrants illustrate simplicity in design. They are made with as few removable parts as is practical, to make them easy to operate and repair |
The Inspiration- To design a robot to be used in rescue situations, inspiration may be drawn from other robotic vehicles. The robots used to investigate underwater sea life and shipwrecks (pictured below) use similar principles. In addition, since our robot will be transitioning from land to water, vehicles such as the Duckmobile, amphibious tanks, and the Schwimmwagen (a German amphibious jeep vehicle used in World War Two) may demonstrate helpful characteristics that can be used in the construction of our TOV.
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| Duckmobiles, designed to travel on land and in water, utilize similar design principles to our TOV |
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| The Schwimmwagen, inspiration for our TOV design |
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| ROV's, or Remotely Operated Vehicles, use similar principles to the proposed TOV |
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| Robots can perform a wide variety of tasks, depending on the tools they are equipped with |
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| This TOV is both tethered and amphibious, similar to our design. Vehicles like this have a variety of applications |
