AERIAL VEHICLE AND UNDERWATER ROBOT RESCUE SYSTEM

Abstract

Today’s underwater rescue mission requires precise information on the location of the disaster and situation awareness of the surrounding environment to allow the rescuer to plan and execute the rescue mission in a timely and effective manner. To achieve this goal, remote operated underwater vehicle integrated with camera and global position system can be utilised. The aim of this project is to enhance the existing Underwater Robot Rescue System, which Singapore Polytechnic’s had built. Currently, the Rescue System is not fully computerized and only allows the Underwater Robot to be manually controlled through RF remote controller. Hence, the objective of this project is to design and develop a Wireless Communication System that allows • Underwater Robot to communicate wirelessly with other Platform, for example an Aerial Vehicle that hovers around the disaster area. • Capability to transmit the Underwater Robot location information automatically to a Monitoring and Control Application • Capability to transmit Situation Awareness picture (taken by a Camera on board the Underwater Robot) automatically to a Monitoring and Control Application • Capability to remotely manoeuvre the Underwater Robot by the Monitoring and Control Application The author has successfully design and develops 2 prototype boards, namely the Camera Transceiver and GPS Transceiver board that allowed GPS information and image taken by the on-board camera to be transmitted wirelessly to a Monitoring and Control Application. A third Transceiver board was also build to allow the Laptop hosting the Monitoring and Control Application to communicate with the Camera and GPS transceiver board. The Transceiver board can also be mounted on a Aerial Vehicle to allow the vehicle to communicate with the Underwater Robot. The prototype hardware board developed in this project can be used as a reference design for subsequent project that will integrated the GPS and Camera Transceiver board to the Underwater Robot and the transceiver board to the Aerial Vehicle.