Robotics Assistance by Risky Interventions: Needs and Realistic Solutions

According to the International Advanced Robotics Program (IARP– www.iarp-robotics.org ), the Advanced Robots, while somewhat difficult to define precisely, have one or more of the following characteristics: to be able to sense and adapt to their environment , to be mobile , to operate in harsh, demanding or dangerous conditions or environments, to operate in non-manufacturing applications such as space, underwater, nuclear, tunnels, agriculture, medical and healthcare, civil engineering and construction, intelligent manufacturing, fire fighting and emergency rescue operations, services, domestic applications and personal robotics. Navigating intelligently in an unstructured unknown environment while accomplishing useful tasks is not a trivial problem and many aspects have not been completely solved by the scientific community. A complex mission cannot be simply solved by assembling disparate components and hoping that they will seamlessly cooperate to achieve the mission. Two risky applications have been considered in the Robotics activities of the RMA: the Fire-fighting operations when dangerous products may affect the safe work of fire-fighters, through the participation to a European project called ‘View-Finder’ (https://www.view-finder-project.eu) , the CBRN-E threats (including the de-mining operations on fields where AP-mines or sub-munitions have been laid or buried.