A modular, foldable robotic system for detecting and evacuating people in hazardous environments.

Abstract

Modular, foldable robotic system for detecting and evacuating people in hazardous environments, consisting of: a large number of interconnected robot modules, each configured to be used independently and together for search, rescue and evacuation operations; wherein each module comprises a foldable frame equipped with articulated joints and servo-controlled actuators that allow dynamic reconfiguration of the module into multiple operating modes, including serpentine, creeping, wheel-driven, bridge-like and support-like formations; a multi-sensor fusion unit integrated into each module, wherein the unit includes at least one LIDAR sensor, a thermal imaging camera, an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor and a gas sensor to detect the presence of people, map the environment and identify hazardous conditions; an integrated processing and control unit configured to process multi-sensor data using artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms for real-time decision-making, navigation, route planning, and victim identification; a communication module configured to establish a wireless mesh network between modules for data exchange, swarm coordination, and synchronization of collective tasks; and an integrated energy management system in each module, configured for energy exchange between interconnected modules via wired or wireless coupling to extend operating time; the robot system is able to autonomously recognize humans, reconfigure its morphology based on terrain conditions or task requirements, and jointly carry out rescue or evacuation measures with minimal human intervention.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of robotics and artificial intelligence, in particular modular and reconfigurable robotic systems designed for search, rescue, and evacuation operations in hazardous or disaster-prone environments. More specifically, the invention relates to a foldable, shape-adaptive robotic platform capable of recognizing people, assessing the environment, and autonomously navigating complex terrain such as collapsed buildings, fire zones, or flooded areas.

[0002] In recent years, robotics has become an indispensable tool in disaster management and rescue operations, helping to minimize risks to people in dangerous or inaccessible areas. Existing robotic systems—such as wheeled, tracked, legged, and drone-based robots—have been developed to support search and rescue operations in collapsed buildings, tunnels, or fire zones. While these systems make a significant contribution to environmental exploration and mapping, they have considerable limitations in terms of mobility, adaptability, and victim handling. Most conventional robots are designed for single-mode operation, restricting their deployment to specific types of terrain.Robots with wheels and tracks struggle to traverse uneven rubble or narrow crevices, while serpentine robots, although flexible, lack the strength and structure required for victim evacuation. Furthermore, human detection in complex environments often relies on a single sensor modality, such as thermal imaging, which can produce false alarms in the presence of fire, hot surfaces, or reflective materials. Another significant limitation of existing technologies is their dependence on continuous human oversight. Many robotic systems require manual control, limiting operational speed and scalability in large-scale disasters. Additionally, individual robots typically operate independently rather than cooperatively, resulting in inefficient coverage and coordination.Therefore, there is a need for a modular, foldable, and reconfigurable robotic system that can adapt its structure to terrain conditions, autonomously detect and identify people, and collaborate with other robotic units to perform evacuations or debris removal. Such a system should combine mechanical adaptability, swarm intelligence, and multi-sensor fusion to operate effectively in hazardous environments while minimizing the risk to rescue personnel.

[0003] To solve this problem, the present invention offers a modular, foldable robotic system for detecting and evacuating people in dangerous environments.

[0004] The system can dynamically reconfigure its structure – for example, into a snake, tracked, wheeled or carrying mode – to move through complex terrain and confined spaces.

[0005] The system enables the robot to operate semi-autonomously or fully autonomously with minimal human intervention, utilizing machine learning-based path planning and obstacle avoidance.

[0006] The system can work together in a coordinated manner, exchange environmental data and jointly carry out tasks such as debris removal, bridge construction or transport of victims.

[0007] The system can transmit real-time video, environmental data, and victim locations to a central control center.

[0008] The system ensures the safe care and evacuation of injured persons, with modular units being connected to form a stable, stretcher-like structure that allows injured persons to be safely lifted and transported.

[0009] One embodiment of the present invention comprises providing a modular, foldable robotic system for the detection and evacuation of people in hazardous environments. The present invention provides a modular, foldable robotic system designed for the detection, rescue, and evacuation of people in hazardous and disaster-prone environments such as collapsed buildings, fire zones, tunnels, and flooded areas. The system overcomes the limitations of conventional single-mode rescue robots by combining mechanical reconfigurability, swarm intelligence, and AI-based perception in a single, adaptable robotic platform.

[0010] The robotic system comprises several interconnected modular units, each equipped with a foldable structure, a multimodal mobility mechanism (wheel-chain-snake type), and a multi-sensor fusion module that includes thermal, infrared, LiDAR, ultrasonic, and gas sensors for accurate person detection and environmental mapping. Each unit also features an integrated microcontroller or AI processor, enabling autonomous decision-making, path planning, and the collaborative execution of tasks with minimal human intervention.

[0011] The modules can be docked, detached, and reconfigured to perform a variety of rescue functions, such as bridge building, a carry mode for victim evacuation, or crane-like configurations for debris removal. The foldable design of each unit allows for compact transport and rapid deployment on-site. The system incorporates AI-powered algorithms for swarm coordination, communication, and navigation. The swarm shares sensor data and environmental information via a mesh-based wireless communication network (Wi-Fi / LoRa / 5G), ensuring reliable connectivity and situational awareness across the entire disaster area.The invention also features an energy distribution and optimization mechanism that allows connected units to transfer power wirelessly or via docking connectors, thereby extending the operating time and reliability of the entire swarm during prolonged deployments. Overall, the present invention provides a versatile, intelligent, and reconfigurable robotic platform capable of adapting its morphology and functionality in real time, detecting and locating human survivors with high accuracy, and safely assisting in evacuation or debris removal tasks. The system offers a cost-effective, scalable, and industrially viable solution that significantly improves the efficiency and safety of search and rescue operations.

[0012] The present invention relates to a modular, foldable robotic system designed for the detection, rescue, and evacuation of people in hazardous or disaster-affected areas such as collapsed buildings, fire zones, flooded regions, and mining tunnels. The system overcomes the limitations of conventional rescue robots by integrating a foldable mechanical design, swarm intelligence, and multi-sensor fusion into a single adaptive platform capable of autonomous and collaborative operation. The robotic system comprises a multitude of interconnected modular units, each functioning as an independent robot capable of movement, perception, and communication. These modules can be docked, detached, and reconfigured to form various configurations, such as serpentine chains, caterpillar formations, bridges, or stretchers, depending on the requirements of the rescue scenario.Its ability to fold and transform into various shapes allows the system to traverse narrow or irregular terrain inaccessible to conventional wheeled or tracked robots. Each modular unit comprises an internal control unit, a mobility mechanism, sensors, and communication modules. The control unit can be based on a microcontroller or an embedded processor such as an ESP32, Raspberry Pi, or NVIDIA Jetson Nano, enabling integrated computing for real-time decision-making and AI-based processing. The mobility mechanism integrates servo motors, wheels, and joint connections, allowing for smooth articulation and flexible movement. The foldable structure of each unit is achieved through servo-controlled joints, enabling the robot to bend, rotate, or flatten itself depending on its environment.The sensor module in each unit combines data from multiple sensors to improve perception accuracy. These sensors include LiDAR for environmental mapping and obstacle detection, thermal and infrared sensors for detecting body heat, ultrasonic sensors for proximity detection, and gas sensors for detecting hazardous substances in the air. The fusion of these sensory inputs is processed by AI algorithms to create a unified environmental map, thereby improving the accuracy of human and hazard detection, even in poor visibility or smoke conditions. The robot modules communicate via a wireless mesh network (Wi-Fi, LoRa, or 5G), enabling all units to exchange information and work together. This swarm-based communication architecture ensures that the failure of one unit does not disrupt the operation of the others, thus providing system redundancy and robustness.The swarm intelligence algorithms enable the modules to self-organize, exchange environmental data, assign roles, and collaborate to accomplish complex tasks such as locating victims, forming bridges across gaps, or creating stretcher-like platforms for evacuation. Each module's power system consists of a rechargeable battery that can share power with neighboring modules via physical connections or wireless transmission. This power-sharing mechanism extends operational time and ensures that critical units continue to function even if individual batteries are depleted. The power management algorithm dynamically monitors power distribution within the swarm, optimizing resource utilization and preventing system failures.

[0013] In an emergency, the modular robot swarm can be deployed directly at the disaster site. The robots autonomously spread across the area, searching for victims and hazards. When they detect a human presence, the nearest modules converge and form a collective structure to lift, carry, or assist the victim. In an earthquake, for example, the robot can reconfigure itself into a snake-like mode to access narrow spaces and then expand into a carrying mode once the victim has been located. In floods or fires, the robots adapt to the terrain using their hybrid drive technology (wheels and tracks) and heat detection capabilities to bring victims to safety. Human operators can remotely monitor all activities in real time via the control interface or supervisor dashboard.The interface displays live video images, maps of the surroundings, and the locations of victims, and allows for manual intervention if necessary. However, most of the system's functions are performed autonomously by integrated AI algorithms, thus minimizing reliance on continuous human oversight.

Claims

[1] Modular, foldable robot system for the detection and evacuation of people in hazardous environments, consisting of: a large number of interconnected robot modules, each configured to be used independently and together for search, rescue and evacuation operations; wherein each module comprises a foldable frame equipped with articulated joints and servo-controlled actuators that allow dynamic reconfiguration of the module into multiple operating modes, including serpentine, creeping, wheel-driven, bridge-like and support-like formations; a multi-sensor fusion unit integrated into each module, wherein the unit includes at least one LIDAR sensor, a thermal imaging camera, an infrared sensor, an ultrasonic sensor and a gas sensor to detect the presence of people, map the environment and identify hazardous conditions; an integrated processing and control unit configured to process multi-sensor data using artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms for real-time decision-making, navigation, route planning, and victim identification; a communication module configured to establish a wireless mesh network between modules for data exchange, swarm coordination, and synchronization of collective tasks; and an integrated energy management system in each module, configured for energy exchange between interconnected modules via wired or wireless coupling to extend operating time; the robot system is able to autonomously recognize humans, reconfigure its morphology based on terrain conditions or task requirements, and jointly carry out rescue or evacuation measures with minimal human intervention. [2] The modular foldable robot system according to claim 1, wherein the multisensor fusion unit combines data from the heat, infrared and LIDAR sensors to distinguish signatures of the human body from ambient heat or noise, thereby improving the accuracy of victim detection in environments with poor visibility or high temperatures. [3] The modular, foldable robot system according to claim 1, wherein each robot module uses AI-based swarm intelligence algorithms selected from enhanced learning, ant colony optimization or particle swarm optimization to enable autonomous task distribution, environment mapping and collaboration between robots. [4] The modular foldable robot system according to claim 1, wherein the foldable structural frame is actuated by servomotors or linear drives to perform a reconfiguration between tracked, snake, bridge and stretcher configurations depending on terrain conditions and rescue requirements. [5] The modular foldable robot system according to claim 1, wherein the communication module uses Wi-Fi, LoRa or 5G radio protocols to maintain a mesh communication network between multiple robot modules and a remote control station, thereby enabling real-time data transmission and command synchronization. [6] The modular foldable robot system according to claim 1, wherein the energy management system is configured to perform intelligent energy distribution and load distribution between interconnected modules using AI-based energy optimization algorithms, thereby extending the mission duration. [7] The modular foldable robot system according to claim 1, wherein the robot system is capable of operation under ambient conditions from -20 °C to +60 °C and has a protection class (IP54 to IP67) for operation in dusty, water-filled or dirt-filled environments. [8] The modular foldable robot system according to claim 1, wherein a group of the robot modules can be reconfigured together to form a carrying structure to safely lift and transport injured persons, thereby ensuring stability and minimizing the risk of further injuries during evacuation. [9] The modular, foldable robot system according to claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a monitoring and control dashboard configured to display real-time sensor data, victim locations and environment maps, so that human operators can monitor the autonomous operation and manually override it if necessary.