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Towards Small Robot Aided Victim Manipulation

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Abstract

Robotic manipulation of human victims is a problem typically avoided by the robotics community primarily for fear of injuring victims further, though large robotic human transportation is more prevalent. This paper presents the issues that would need to be addressed in order to have small man-portable robots aiding the transport of incapacitated victims. Focusing on the manipulation of victims in preparation for transport, the primary design specifications are the forces that a small robot would need to be capable of applying. Data and analysis is presented for human limb manipulation, in terms of limb pose statistics and the forces required for appropriate limb motions. Descriptions of a robotic solution include a wristlet mechanism that can be robotically deployed as well as a novel head protection and cervical spine immobilization method using rapidly expanding foam.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics Department, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA

    Mark Yim & Jedtsada Laucharoen

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  1. Mark Yim
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  2. Jedtsada Laucharoen
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Correspondence to Mark Yim.

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Yim, M., Laucharoen, J. Towards Small Robot Aided Victim Manipulation. J Intell Robot Syst 64, 119–139 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10846-010-9519-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10846-010-9519-3

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