Autonomous Medical Module Transport for Hard-to-Reach Incident Scenes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing emergency response systems face challenges in accurately and efficiently dispatching personnel and equipment to difficult-to-reach incident scenes, such as backyards or disaster zones, requiring multiple personnel to locate and transport medical supplies.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous mobile response unit comprising an autonomous patient support apparatus and an unmanned aerial vehicle, equipped with navigation and obstruction detection systems, to autonomously transport patients and medical equipment to incident scenes using optimized paths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple personnel are dispatched to locate and transport medical supplies to difficult-to-reach incident scenes, then the reliability of medical support delivery is improved, but the loss of time and operational efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous mobile response unit performs self-navigation and self-transposition to the incident scene without requiring human operators for navigation or manual handling. The system autonomously detects obstructions, calculates alternative paths, and executes movement commands, enabling medical support delivery without personnel intervention for transport operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical operations (personnel physically locating and transporting equipment) with an autonomous control system that uses sensors, processors, and automated actuators. The navigation system substitutes human decision-making with algorithmic path planning and obstacle detection.
2Ease of operation
If multiple personnel are required to locate and transport medical equipment, then the ease of operation is improved through human judgment, but the device complexity and resource requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous mobile response unit integrates multiple functions into a single system: patient support capabilities, medical equipment transport, autonomous navigation, obstruction detection, and communication. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate personnel and equipment for each task.
Solution Approach 2:
The autonomous control system acts as an intermediary between the dispatch center and the physical transport task. The controller receives commands from remote operators and automatically executes complex navigation and manipulation tasks, serving as a mediator that simplifies human interaction while handling operational complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If traditional dispatch methods are used for incident scenes, then the adaptability to various locations is maintained through human flexibility, but the productivity and response efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous mobile response unit dynamically adapts its navigation strategy based on real-time environmental conditions. The system continuously detects obstructions, recalculates paths, and adjusts its movement commands, enabling it to handle diverse and changing incident scene conditions while maintaining high response efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The navigation system incorporates continuous feedback loops where sensor data about the environment is processed to update the path plan. The system monitors its own position, detects changes in the environment, and adjusts its course accordingly, ensuring adaptability to various incident scenes while optimizing response time.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of transporting equipment modules to an incident scene with an comprises: determining an initial location of the incident scene; dispatching an ambulance loaded with the autonomous mobile response unit and a plurality of equipment modules to the initial location; determining a refined location of the incident scene; selecting a first equipment module; dispensing the first equipment module from the ambulance onto the autonomous mobile response unit; deploying the autonomous mobile response unit from the ambulance at the initial location; communicating the refined location of the incident scene to the autonomous mobile response unit; generating, with the navigation system, a drive path from the initial location to the refined location; and driving, with the drive system, the autonomous mobile response unit loaded with the first equipment module based on the drive path such that the autonomous mobile response unit travels from the initial location to the refined location.