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ISEP/INESC TEC Aerial Robotics Team for Search and Rescue Operations at the euRathlon 2015

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Abstract

This paper presents the results from search and rescue missions performed with the aerial robot OTUS in the the context of the ISEP/INESC TEC aerial robotics team participation on the euRathlon 2015 robotics competition. The multi-domain (land, sea and air) search and rescue scenario is described and technical solution adopted is presented with emphasis on the perception system. The calibration of the image based system is addressed. Results from the operational missions performed are also discussed. The aerial autonomous vehicle was able to successfully perform multiple tasks from the aerial reconnaissance and 3D mapping to the identification of leaking pipes, obstructed passages and missing workers. The system was validated a realistic operational scenario and won the Grand Challenge in cooperation with land and marine robotics partner teams. This challenge was the first time that a real time collaborative team of aerial, land and marine robots was deployed successfully in a search and rescue mission.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thanks to Cobham and the Universitat de Girona team, that were partners in land and sea during the euRathlon competition.

This work is financed by the ERDF—European Regional Development Fund through the Operational Program for Competitiveness and Internationalization—COMPETE 2020 Program within project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006961, and by National Funds through the FCT—Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology as part of project UID/EEA/50014/2013.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. INESC Technology and Science, Porto, Portugal

    P. Sousa, A. Ferreira, M. Moreira, T. Santos, A. Martins, A. Dias, J. Almeida & E. Silva

  2. ISEP - School of Engineering of Porto Polytechnic Institute, Porto, Portugal

    A. Martins, A. Dias, J. Almeida & E. Silva

Authors
  1. P. Sousa
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  2. A. Ferreira
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  3. M. Moreira
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  4. T. Santos
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  5. A. Martins
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  6. A. Dias
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  7. J. Almeida
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  8. E. Silva
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Correspondence to P. Sousa.

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Sousa, P., Ferreira, A., Moreira, M. et al. ISEP/INESC TEC Aerial Robotics Team for Search and Rescue Operations at the euRathlon 2015. J Intell Robot Syst 93, 447–460 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10846-018-0772-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10846-018-0772-1

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