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Exploration of a Robot Development Program for the Costa Rican Fire

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Exploration of a Robot Development Program for the Costa Rican Fire Exploration of A Robot Development Program for the Costa Rican Fire Department An Interactive Qualifying Project Report Submitted to the Faculty of WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science by: Kathryn Nippert Jacob Ciolfi Kalani Picho Lisa Spalding SPONSORED BY: ANA MARIA ORTEGA, ENCARGADA DE LA UNIDAD DE T.I. EL BENEMÉRITO CUERPO DE BOMBEROS DE COSTA RICA Date: 5 March 2020 Professor James Chiarelli, Co-Advisor Professor Darko Volkov, Co-Advisor i ABSTRACT The goal of our project was to develop a comprehensive report on the potential benefits and implementation of a robot program for the Bomberos of Costa Rica to expand their capabilities in emergency situations and reduce risk to emergency personnel. We researched existing firefighting robot technology and conducted interviews of Bomberos stations in order to gather information about the most frequent and dangerous emergencies, and recommended action plans for developing a robotic program that would best benefit the needs of the Bomberos. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The success of this project was made possible thanks to the support of many individuals whom we would like to acknowledge. We would like to extend our sincerest gratitude towards every individual that supported us throughout this process. First and foremost, we would like to thank our sponsor, El Cuerpo de Bomberos de Costa Rica, and Ana Maria Ortega, the head of the information technology unit who spearheaded the creation of this project. Ana Maria ceaselessly provided direction to our group, encouraged our involvement within El Cuerpo de Bomberos, and took time to share the local cuisine and culture with us. We are especially grateful for Bombero Randall Torres Alvarado, who graciously provided the quantitative data required for our project and who aided our immersion into Costa Rican culture by traveling with us to Bomberos stations around Costa Rica. We always felt welcome traveling with him, as our group was greeted with cries of, "Randy!" and, "Batman!" (his alter-ego), from Bomberos he had become close to over his 28 years of service. Having said that, he offered us a unique experience in which we were able to discover and appreciate authentic Costa Rica in addition to our work. We are grateful for our project advisors James Chiarelli and Darko Volkov who provided us with the guidance, valuable feedback, and direction needed to achieve success in our project. Their continued support and availability as a resource for any help that we needed allowed us to achieve our project goal. Our final thanks go to Worcester Polytechnic Institute and our site- coordinator Melissa Belz for their continued efforts in the preservations of relationships with sponsors abroad and the Interdisciplinary Qualifying Project allowing every student the opportunity to experience the adventure of a lifetime. iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY For a translated version of the Executive Summary in Spanish, please see Appendix A. Para una versión traducida del Resumen Ejecutivo en español, consulte el Apéndice A. The role of first responders in emergency situations is crucial in saving lives yet poses significant threat to the first responders themselves. Among first response occupations, firefighting is very high risk in nature. Fire departments are responsible for responding to a variety of emergencies including structural, forest, and vehicle fires, medical emergencies, search and rescue missions, and hazardous material incidents. The threatening nature of such emergencies has brought about a movement to integrate innovative technology that can replace or reduce human interaction during emergency response. El Cuerpo de Bomberos de Costa Rica is the national firefighting agency that is responsible for the safety and protection of the land and the citizens of Costa Rica. The Bomberos primarily responds to vegetation fires, bee incidents, hazardous material accidents, electrical and gas emergencies, and search and rescue calls. The number of emergencies per year the Bomberos have been responding to is trending upward, indicating an increasing need for solutions to reduce risk to firefighters. The Bomberos of Costa Rica would greatly benefit from the implementation of a robot program in order to assist first responders during emergencies. Development of Methodology The goal of our project was to develop a comprehensive report on the potential benefits and implementation of a robot program for El Cuerpo de Bomberos in an effort to expand their capabilities in emergency situations and reduce risk to emergency personnel. In order to ensure the success of our project in the allotted time, we identified four primary objectives: 1. Gain knowledge of the existing technological and response capabilities and procedures of El Cuerpo de Bomberos, and identify emergencies with the highest frequency or risk; 2. Develop an extensive understanding of existing robotic technologies and development programs; 3. Perform hands-on fieldwork and data collection at various Bomberos stations by interviewing active Bomberos members; iv 4. Create recommendations regarding potential uses for and implementations of robotic technologies in El Cuerpo de Bomberos. In order to inform our execution of the project, we first needed to identify the existing technical capabilities and equipment of El Cuerpo de Bomberos. In order to gather this information, we referenced Bomberos archival data, the Manual de Competencias Esenciales para Bomberos Centroamericanos [Essential Skills Manual for Central American Bomberos] (CEBOC) and conducted interviews with administrators and firefighting teams of El Cuerpo de Bomberos. We analyzed the information we gathered and used it to recommend action plans to the Bomberos. Major Findings Through evaluation and analysis of Bomberos data and protocols, interviews, and extensive research regarding robot technology advancement programs and existing robots, we developed four main findings. 1. Current Cuerpo de Bomberos Protocols, Technology, and Statistics. El Cuerpo de Bomberos currently uses situation-specific protocols set forth by CEBOC in order to reduce risk to personnel at emergency sites. After consultation with our sponsor, we decided to focus on protocols involving four of the most common or dangerous emergencies: incidents involving bees; vegetation fires; electrical incidents; and hazardous material emergencies. The protocols set forth for these incidents are well detailed in the CEBOC manual and are centered around informed decision making in order to reduce risk to first responders and increase chances of survival for potential victims. All emergency call information from 2014 to 2019 was analyzed to determine the prevalence of each incidence and identify trends. Through this analysis, we determined that the most common call received each year was incidents involving bees, accounting for nearly 30 percent of the total call volume during the six-year time period. It was apparent that the number of incidents involving bees, rescues and recoveries, and electrical emergencies have increased since 2014, with rescues and recoveries increasing at the greatest rate. v Furthermore, we investigated the well-established Bomberos drone program which began with few drones and several pilots. The program now provides drones to every province and has more than 20 registered pilots within the El Cuerpo de Bomberos. This versatile program allows for more informed decision-making that reduces risk to firefighters by providing clearer or more accurate measurements and observations during emergency situations. 2. Currently Available Firefighting & Rescue Robots. We researched currently available firefighting, rescue, and reconnaissance robots with a specific focus on land-based robots with diverse functionalities. We found several tank-like robots including: Colossus, developed by Shark Robotics; Thermite RS1-T4 and RS3-T1, developed by Howe & Howe; TAF35, developed by EMI Controls; and a reconnaissance Firefighter’s Assistance Robot (FAR), developed by Hoya Robot Company. These robots demonstrate the wide range of uses of current technology and have the potential to aid with emergency response situations. 3. Established Rescue Robot Development Programs. A portion of our research focused on existing robotic technology advancement programs such as the Integrated Components for Assisted Rescue and Unmanned Search Operations (ICARUS) project and the Center for Robot- Assisted Search and Rescue (CRASAR). The ICARUS program was established and funded in 2012 by the European Union with the objective of developing data gathering robots in order to reduce risk and impact of crisis on citizens and search and rescue teams. The CRASAR program, created in 2001, promotes the effective use of unmanned air, ground, and marine vehicles by emergency response agencies. In addition, the program provides unmanned vehicle systems training to emergency personnel. Overall, we found that each technology advancement program shares the goal of increasing unmanned robotic integration in first response jobs in an effort to reduce risk to responders and allow for more rapid information gathering. 4. On-Site Interviews. On-site interviews with the Bomberos enabled us to gather pertinent information about which robotic capabilities would be most useful. We visited eleven stations and we conducted interviews at ten. Based on the interviews, we found that the most dangerous emergency call the Bomberos respond to is hazardous
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