Disaster Robotics (Intelligent Robotics and Autonomous Agents series) (Hardback) - Common

by Robin R. Murphy

A comprehensive, authoritative, and accessible reference for disaster robotics that covers theory, specific deployments, and ground, air, and marine modalities. This book offers the definitive guide to the theory and practice of disaster robotics. It can serve as an introduction for researchers and technologists, a reference for emergency managers, and a textbook in field robotics. Written by a pioneering researcher in the field who has herself participated in fifteen deployments of robots in disaster response and recovery, the book covers theory and practice, the history of the field, and specific missions. After a broad overview of rescue robotics in the context of emergency informatics, the book provides a chronological summary and formal analysis of the thirty-four documented deployments of robots to disasters that include the 2001 collapse of the World Trade Center, Hurricane Katrina, the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami, and numerous mining accidents. It then examines disaster robotics in the typical robot modalities of ground, air, and marine, addressing such topics as robot types, missions and tasks, and selection heuristics for each modality. Finally, the book discusses types of fieldwork, providing practical advice on matters that include collecting data and collaborating with emergency professionals. The field of disaster robotics has lacked a comprehensive overview. This book by a leader in the field, offering a unique combination of the theoretical and the practical, fills the gap.

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[BCS · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book aims to provide a comprehensive description of how and where robotics has been used in disaster situations. It is intended to be a resource for researchers, practitioners and the public.

A readable text requiring no great technical knowledge, and with good use of pictures, a glossary, extensive references and an index helps to achieve these aims.

Following a broad overview of rescue robotics, the author describes the 34 deployments to date of robots to disasters worldwide, starting with their use in 2001 at the World Trade Center and covering use in hurricanes and earthquakes, floods, mine accidents, nuclear emergency and other natural and manmade disasters. There is discussion of how and why these deployments have succeeded or failed.

The author goes on to describe the typical modalities of ground, aerial and marine; modalities that have developed independently. She then provides extensive practical advice for conducting fieldwork and providing robust data for future research and development and outlines the current outstanding gaps and research questions.

An excellent book.

Reviewed by Sheila Bullas MBCS CITP

[Jason Dotson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought a copy of this after an article appeared in Emergency Management. I know very little about robotics, but have always been intrigued by their possibilities and their perceived applications to disaster response. In this definitive text, 34 deployments are reviewed. Two of these deployments occurred in mining disasters in Kentucky, where I am based.

As an emergency management practitioner, I will be recommending this reference to any of my interested colleagues.