For the first time in Germany, emergency services, researchers and industry will work together on the realization of autonomous rescue robots and the establishment of a national and international robotics task force. For this purpose, a modern competence center for the research and development of mobile robot systems for civil emergency response, the German Rescue Robotics Center (A-DRZ), is being built on the site of the former Phoenix steelworks in Dortmund.
Together with other partners from security, research, and industry, the Association for the Promotion of German Fire Protection (vfdb) is significantly involved. The project, initially scheduled to run for four years, is being funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as part of the funding announcement “Civil Security – Innovation Laboratories/Competence Centers for Robot Systems in Inhumane Environments” as part of the “Research for Civil Security 2012 to 2017” program Federal Government.
Technical development advances
It is foreseeable that mobile robot systems will be able to take on increasing tasks in the future
The background is the constantly increasing challenges for authorities and organizations with security tasks (BOS) in the daily completion of their tasks. Despite good training, sophisticated tactical concepts and reliable protective equipment, numerous emergency services around the world are injured or killed in their work every year, as the BMBF emphasizes.
Therefore, as technical development advances, it is foreseeable that mobile robot systems will be able to take on increasing tasks in the future in order to make operational operations more effective and safer for emergency services, people at risk and other objects of protection.
key scenarios of fire
A laboratory with an attached testing area in which solutions for supportive rescue robots
According to President Dirk Aschenbrenner, the vfdb will contribute its extensive user know-how to the project. “Our members have extensive expert knowledge. They know the problems and requirements and already have various experiences with future technologies. “That’s why they offer the best conditions for taking part in testing the robot systems on the test areas in the DRZ,” continues Aschenbrenner.
Among other things, there is a so-called “Living Lab” available - a laboratory with an attached testing area in which solutions for supportive rescue robots can be researched and tested in realistic test environments. The basis is the key scenarios of fire, collapse and burial, detection of hazardous substances and flooding, as well as the resulting challenges for rescue robotics.
Innovative developments
Beyond the initial phase, according to the plans of everyone involved, the long-term goal is to establish a scientifically oriented competence center that promotes innovative developments with its partners. In this way, increasingly powerful robotic technology for rescue workers should become available on the market.
The research network is coordinated by the Institute for Fire and Rescue Technology at the Dortmund Fire Department. The project is to be set up, operated and expanded after a possible further funding phase by the already-founded association “German Rescue Robotics Center eV” (DRZ eV).