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“first RESponder-Centered support toolkit for operating in adverse and infrastrUcture-less EnviRonments”

THE PROJECT

RESCUER aims to design and develop a First-Responder-centered technology toolkit that will empower the next generation of First Responders (FR) by enhancing their operational capacity and safety, specifically in adverse conditions, both environmental and infrastructure-wise.

Adopting the “HERO” (enHanced nEw eRa first respOnder) concept, RESCUER will deliver a toolkit offering:

1. Sense augmentation,

2. Precise and infrastructure-less self-positioning,

3. Cognitive support and multi-sense AR interfaces,

4. Robust ad-hoc intra-team communications for both verbal and data exchanges.

RESCUER will also introduce the capability of extracting environment information “in situ and infrastructure-wise.

Augmented tools for enhancing sensing capabilities

Robust vision in adverse conditions: RESCUER will provide augmented vision modules for cancelling of adverse weather and environmental conditions, exploiting the benefits of Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning.

Positioning and orientation capabilities

Visual based self-localization: One of the main needs of FRs while operating is the ability to accurately identify their location at any type of environment including commercial or residential buildings and underground places (e.g. mines, subway systems, caves etc.) in real time.

Enabling Technologies

Ad hoc communication network: In the context of RESCUER, the exchange of data and interaction between modules of the AR tools is of paramount importance. The exchange of data/information is one of the main pillars of the envisaged RESCUER solution. In environments like the ones in the scope of the project one must assume that no communications infrastructure will exist and so the communications should be established in an ad-hoc mode to supply the communications required.

Perception tools

Cognitive load balancing: Suboptimal levels of cognitive functioning (e.g., increased workload, inattention and fatigue) constitutes a primary factor of poor performance and increased number of accidents in risky environments. For this reason, RESCUER will equip FRs with specialized health monitoring systems able to keep track of their vital signs and constantly assess their cognitive state to prevent risky behaviours and always operate in optimal psychophysical conditions.

Enhancing the first responders capability

Augmenting FRs' senses

including vision (especially in adverse conditions such as darkness, rain, or fog), hearing, detection of victims and detection of unseen hazards such as obstacles or dangerous gases.

Precise self-localisation

in indoor or outdoor environments, using multiple technologies and modes for accuracy and robustness.

Cognitive support

measuring the cognitive load of each FR and automatically deciding how much of the available information to display so as to avoid distraction and mental fatigue.

Situational awareness

merging all of the above in innovative augmented reality information displays.

RESCUER plans to augment and extend human senses, intervening in all stages of the sensing pipeline, following an approach inspired from human physiology: from the collection of sensory input signals, to their transduction to the appropriate nodes, to their processing and communication, culminating in augmented perception capability