The Efficiency of Differently-Programmed Rescue Robots as Victim Locator

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Emergency rescue is one of the common problems encountered during disasters and the time it takes to cease the rescue mission takes so much causing life to be at risk. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRMMC) employs every effort to ensure the protection and welfare of the people during disasters or emergencies. However, rescue robots have not yet been fully utilized due to lack of expertise and funding. Thus, this study was conducted to design and construct a robot that can detect human lives in disaster-affected areas. This robot is also devised to access unreachable locations.

METHODS

The researchers came up with the following different programs. In program/treatment no. 1 with 4 CH Buttons with Obstacles Detecting Sensor, the robot can detect the specific distance of an obstacle. In program/treatment no.2 with 4 CH Buttons with Radar, the robot can detect motion and objects near its vicinity. In program/treatment no.3 with 4 CH Buttons with Light Sensor, if the robot detects light intensity in as little as 130 lux, it will respond by flashing "light detected" on the monitor. Constant variables installed in all programs include a Passive Infrared (PIR) sensor and a sound sensor. The researchers designed and created a simulation board to test the limitations of the Emergency Companion Robot.

RESULTS

Based on the results, all programs were applicable to the robot because of the successful rescue mission even though there were differences in their time of locating the victims. It was also found out that 4CH Buttons with Obstacle Detecting Sensor was the fastest to detect the victim in a disaster-affected area with an average time of rescue of 3:58 min. Using One-Way ANOVA, the computed F value (19.69) is higher than the tabulated value (2.70), the null hypothesis is thus rejected. From the results obtained from the t-test, the p-value between programs 1 and2 and programs 1 and 3 is less than 0.05, 0.048 for both, which made their mean difference to be statistically significant.

DISCUSSIONS

Program 1 with 4 CH Buttons with Obstacle Detecting Sensor is the most applicable for the robot to be used in disaster areas as it shows the fastest reaction among the others since it uses the function of obstacle detecting sensor embedded from its ultrasonic sensor. The rescue designed in this study has its own limitations owing to its material and power source, thus several improvements to its overall design are recommended for future studies.