Disaster Robotics

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xi

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2. Introduction and Overview

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

      PDF

   2. Overview of the ImPACT Tough Robotics Challenge and Strategy for Disruptive Innovation in Safety and Security

      • Satoshi Tadokoro

      Pages 3-22

3. Disaster Response and Recovery

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 23-23

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   2. ImPACT-TRC Thin Serpentine Robot Platform for Urban Search and Rescue

      • Masashi Konyo, Yuichi Ambe, Hikaru Nagano, Yu Yamauchi, Satoshi Tadokoro, Yoshiaki Bando et al.

      Pages 25-76

   3. Recent R&D Technologies and Future Prospective of Flying Robot in Tough Robotics Challenge

      • Kenzo Nonami, Kotaro Hoshiba, Kazuhiro Nakadai, Makoto Kumon, Hiroshi G. Okuno, Yasutada Tanabe et al.

      Pages 77-142

   4. Cyber-Enhanced Rescue Canine

      • Kazunori Ohno, Ryunosuke Hamada, Tatsuya Hoshi, Hiroyuki Nishinoma, Shumpei Yamaguchi, Solvi Arnold et al.

      Pages 143-193

   5. Dual-Arm Construction Robot with Remote-Control Function

      • Hiroshi Yoshinada, Keita Kurashiki, Daisuke Kondo, Keiji Nagatani, Seiga Kiribayashi, Masataka Fuchida et al.

      Pages 195-264

4. Preparedness for Disaster

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 265-265

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   2. Development of Tough Snake Robot Systems

      • Fumitoshi Matsuno, Tetsushi Kamegawa, Wei Qi, Tatsuya Takemori, Motoyasu Tanaka, Mizuki Nakajima et al.

      Pages 267-326

   3. WAREC-1 – A Four-Limbed Robot with Advanced Locomotion and Manipulation Capabilities

      • Kenji Hashimoto, Takashi Matsuzawa, Xiao Sun, Tomofumi Fujiwara, Xixun Wang, Yasuaki Konishi et al.

      Pages 327-397

5. Component Technologies

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 399-399

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   2. New Hydraulic Components for Tough Robots

      • Koichi Suzumori, Hiroyuki Nabae, Ryo Sakurai, Takefumi Kanda, Sang-Ho Hyon, Tohru Ide et al.

      Pages 401-451

   3. Simulator for Disaster Response Robotics

      • Fumio Kanehiro, Shin’ichiro Nakaoka, Tomomichi Sugihara, Naoki Wakisaka, Genya Ishigami, Shingo Ozaki et al.

      Pages 453-477

6. Evaluation and Human Factors

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 479-479

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   2. Field Evaluation and Safety Management of ImPACT Tough Robotics Challenge

      • Tetsuya Kimura, Toshi Takamori, Raymond Sheh, Yoshio Murao, Hiroki Igarashi, Yudai Hasumi et al.

      Pages 481-506

   3. User Interfaces for Human-Robot Interaction in Field Robotics

      • Robin R. Murphy, Satoshi Tadokoro

      Pages 507-528

7. Back Matter

   Pages 529-534

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This book introduces readers to the latest findings on disaster robotics. It is based on the ImPACT Tough Robotics Challenge, a national project spearheaded by the Japan Cabinet Office that focuses on developing robotics technologies to aid in disaster response, recovery and preparedness. It presents six subprojects that involve robot platforms and several component technologies used in conjunction with robots: 

• cyber rescue canines, which are digitally empowered rescue dogs; 
  
• serpent-like robots for searching debris; 
  
• serpent-like robots for plant/infrastructure inspection; 
  
• UAVs for gathering information on large areas struck by disaster; 
  
• legged robots for plant/infrastructure inspection in risky places; and 
  
• construction robots for recovery tasks that require both power and precision. 
  

The book offers a valuablesource of information for researchers, engineers and practitioners in safety, security and rescue robotics, disaster robotics, and plant and infrastructure maintenance. It will also appeal to a wider demographic, including students and academics, as it highlights application scenarios and the total concept for each robot in various scientific and technical contexts.


In addition to a wealth of figures and photos that explain these robots and systems, as well as experimental data, the book includes a comprehensive list of published papers from this project for readers to refer to. Lastly, an external website offers video footage and updated information from the International Rescue System Institute.

• Rescue Robot
• Urban Search and Rescue Robotics
• Disaster Robotics
• Disaster Response and Recovery
• Disaster Management
• Rescue Robotics
• Robots in Disaster Response
• quality control, reliability, safety and risk

• Graduate School of Information Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan

  Satoshi Tadokoro

Satoshi Tadokoro graduated from the University of Tokyo in 1984. He served as an Associate Professor at Kobe University from 1993 to 2005, and has been a Professor at Tohoku University since 2005. He has been president of the International Rescue System Institute since 2002 and was the IEEE RAS President from 2016 to 2017. He served as project manager for the MEXT DDT Project on rescue robotics, which involved more than 100 professors nationwide, from 2002 to 2007, and served as a PI of numerous NEDO projects related to disaster robotics. His team has developed various rescue robots, two of which, Quince and Active Scope Camera, are well-known because they were used in the nuclear reactor buildings following the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident. The project manager for Japan Cabinet Office’s ImPACT Project (2014 to 2018), he is an IEEE Fellow, RSJ Fellow, JSME Fellow, and SICE Fellow. 

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