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UC04.3: Detailed indoor exploration with ANYMAL (USAR)

Last modified by Tjalling Haije on 2026/05/04 14:17
ObjectiveOB01: Increase effectiveness through exploration, sensing and communication means
OB04: Improve safety by providing overviews and warnings of environment conditions
Description

Enable safe, data‑driven interior reconnaissance and victim triage before human entry, with continuous FR health/location monitoring informing decisions, rotations, and evacuation.

TDPTDP2 — Robots First, Then Humans Protocol TDP4 — Split Role for Robot Control and Data Analysis 
IDPIDP1 — Role-Based, Context-Specific Information Distribution 
ActorsTeam leader, Robot operator, Analyst, Safety officer (at HQ), Structural Expert (FR), Entry Team (FRs) (described at 4. Personas & Problem Scenarios and Direct Stakeholders)
Pre-Condition
  • Structural integrity of building and whether human entry is safe is unknown; sector/ worksite allocated. Viable entrance identified. 
  • ANYmal is mission-ready (battery, controls, and payload checked).
  • FRs wearables distributed, connected, and calibrated.
  • C3I is online, role-based views are configurated (Operator/ Analyst/ Team leader/ Safety officer); 5G pods are installed for connection. 
Post-Condition
  • Health alerts handled; intervention performed if needed.
StatusHazards marked and/or victims detected; team proceeds with increased safety.

Action Sequence

1. Deployment and Startup
  • a. Squad leader labels the target building as robot exploration needed (no human entry until internal reconnaissance is completed and reviewed).
  • b. Robot operator stages ANYmal at the safest entry point (door/window/breach) while the robot operator opens the robot control and the analyst opens the image analysis. 
  • c. First responders check and calibrate wearable sensors (health + localization); the squad leader confirms team baseline status are “green/ready” on the squad dashboard; base of operations sees the same status across all teams.
  • d. Comms/network check: verify stable uplink for robot video/LiDAR + wearable streams between worksite and base of operations; confirm fallback mode (degraded bandwidth / store-and-forward markers).
2. Indoor Exploration with robot
  • a. ANYmal enters via the safest viable opening; robot operator tele-operates for tight passages, stairs, and unstable thresholds.
  • b. ANYmal produces a live 3D map (LiDAR) + video (and thermal if available); the information analyst interprets map + feeds for hazards, access constraints, and points of interest. Structural expert inspects structural integrity via camera stream.
  • c. Feeds stream into C3I: analyst places structured markers (e.g., blocked corridors, collapse risk, gas/smoke pockets, heat zones, viable routes, possible victims) and flags confidence/uncertainty.
3. Squad leader decisionmaking
  • a. Squad leader reviews the updated interior picture on a tablet (route options + hazards + task-relevant markers) and actively questions the analyst/operator to resolve uncertainties (“Can we confirm that corridor is passable?”, “What’s the              safest approach to that room?”).
  • b. Squad leader selects an entry decision (go / no-go / partial entry) and makes decisions regarding: entry team composition, route, objectives, time limits, and abort criteria. The location its labels are logged in C3I via standard forms and                  visible to base of operations.
  • c. Base of operations views the squad’s status in the context of other teams (parallel buildings/sectors) and may re-task assets (e.g., allocate another drone/robot, redirect a medical team, delay entry) based on overall operational priorities.
4. Human Entry and victim extraction with Health + Location Tracking
  • a. First responders enter along the squad leader’s chosen route; wearables are used for continuous tracking (location + vitals) and display their status and location on squad leader dashboard.
  •  b. Squad leader uses the live map + responder locations to direct movement if needed (e.g., reroute around a newly identified hazard, assign room-clearing sequence, keep separation distances, enforce time-on-task).
  • c. First responders navigate to and extract the victims in the order discussed prior to entry.
5. Remote Monitoring, Alerts, and Coordinated Escalation
  • a. Base of operations monitors the squads active in the operation; squad leader monitors his own team at higher level detail (individual vitals + track quality + last-known positions).
  • b. If a responder crosses a threshold (e.g., heart rate spike, heat stress indicator, immobility, rapid elevation change, loss of signal), an alert is generated simultaneously: Squad leader receives a critical on-dashboard alert tied to the responder’s last-known location + nearby hazards/egress routes. Base of operations receives the same alert in the multi-team view (for cross-team support decisions).
  • c. Escalation policy (two-level response): 1) Squad leader action: immediate check-in (voice), buddy-check instruction, micro-reroute to nearest safe point / exit, or pause task. 2) Base of operations action: dispatch medical support / reallocate teams / request additional sensing (robot reposition, drone overwatch), and initiate comms contingency if signal degradation persists.
  • d. If readings normalize, event is closed with a short note; if abnormal readings persist, the squad leader executes abort criteria (partial withdrawal / full extraction) while base coordinates site-level support and deconfliction with other teams.

Table below need to be updated

Claims (title)FunctionEffect(s)MeasureAction Sequence Step(s)
CL01 Improve safety for respondersRobot explores building first, including unsafe, (human) unreachable, or blocked zones firstEFXX: Improves safety of responder by having robot explore unsafe or blocked zones instead, such that first responder can avoid these TDP2, TDP4

- Near-incident reports.
- FR time inside.
- FR path logs.

2a
CL02 Increased SAAnalyst interprets robot camera streams etc. and locates hazards, victims, etc.

EFXX: First responder team has increased situation awareness on hazards, layout, and potential victim locations of the mission site before entry. TDP2

- Correctness of FR reported hazards, victims, and layout before entry. 3
EFXX: Squad leader has more effective decision making due to improved situation awareness. TDP2, TDP4- Safe path chosen
- "How good were your decisions looking back?"		3a, 3b, 3c
CL03 improved mission effectivenessAnalyst monitors and corrects any missed or incorrect detections.EFXX: Victims are localized and extracted and hazards are avoided without missing or misclassifying any. TDP4- Correctness of FR reported hazards, victims, and layout after mission completion.2
CL04 acceptable workload Pilot and analyst split tasks.EFXX: workload of robot operator and analyst is acceptable. TDP4- Self-reported workload questionnaire. (e,g, NASA TLX)2
Role-based, context-specific C3I dashboard with FR location and health information.EFXX: squad leader and BoO can find and interpret relevant FR health and location information quickly, making their workload acceptable. IDP1- Self-reported workload questionnaire. (e,g, NASA TLX)5
CL05 Trustworthy SAAnalyst-validated visualsEFXX: Trust in robot findings increased by analyst confirmation. TDP4- Trust survey or follow-up interviews.4a
CL06 Improved FR healthFR location and health information is monitored and acted on when necessary

EFXX: squad leader and BoO can act on health and location status of first responders to keep them healthy. IDP1

- Health indicators of FR stay in acceptable range

- Health issues are tackled in an acceptable time 

5
CL07 Degraded mission efficiencyRobot scouts ahead of team, which is slower than team going in directly.EFXX: Operational speed degraded. - Mission completion timeAll

Open questions on technology capabilities

  1. Anymal:
    1. What sensors does the Anymal have? LiDAR, day-light camera, depth-camera, thermal camera, microphones, speakers, GPS? 
    2. How many of these sensors are available to the operator/analyst? 
    3. Is the operator UI connected with C3I?
    4. Can the operator share information via the operator UI connected to C3I to the command center? If so, in what form? Photo with image and text? A short video? A livestream? Live location of the robot?  
    5. Can the operator place a marker on the C3I map with a detection (e.g. hazard or victim)? Can information be attached to that marker? Can that marker be confirmed / prioritized / further specified with constraints (e.g. access constraints)? 
    6. Can the robot do object detection for finding victims? If so, how are results presented to the operator/analyst? 
  2. C3I:
    1. What information can be logged in C3I on the teamleaders tablet? Can suggested routes and no-go zones also be specified? 

Open questions on user needs

  1. HQ
    1. At what level of detail do they require Situation Awareness? Does this differ per situation? 
    2. Does HQ communicate always via the teamlead, or also directly with the robot operator/analyst? As in, does the squad leader "confirm" new markers etc in C3I before they become visible to HQ? 
    3. In what way does HQ want to maintain SA? Markers on C3I map with text description, with image and description, only image with category, multiple images, short video, livestream, live 3D map, live thermal camera stream, audio recordings.
    4. Does HQ need to know where the teammembers AND robots are currently?
    5. What are the tasks of HQ?
    6. How many teams typically are coordinated by HQ? 
    7. How much time does HQ have available for maintaining SA and communicating with the squad leader etc on this part of the mission? 
  2. Squad leader
    1. At what level of detail does the squad leader require Situation Awareness? Which info do they need? Does this differ per situation? 
    2. In what way does squad leader want to maintain SA? Should they have enough info from inspecting the C3I map, do they require talking with the analyst, or do they require looking along to inspect the robot sensors? 
    3. Does the squad leader need to know where the teammembers AND robots are currently?What other tasks does the teamlead have? How much time do they have available for maintaining SA on the mission / talking with the analyst / talking with HQ / making plans, etc. 
    4. How many teams does the squad leader have? Are they always close to the operator/analyst (shouting distance), or not?
    5. How do the analyst and squad leader communicate? Via talking in person, or via radio? 
    6. What are the needs of the squad leader, given their tasks? 
  3. Operator/Analyst
    1. What tasks does the Analyst have: analysing the robot sensor streams, instructing operator for where to go, updating the teamlead, updating the C3I interface, other tasks? 
    2. How does the Analyst communicate with others, via speech in person, via radio, via C3I? 
    3. What are the needs of the Analyst, given their tasks?
    4. What are the tasks of the operator? Manage robot condition (battery, connectivity, damage)? 
    5. What are the needs from the operator, given their tasks?