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

Action Sequence

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).

Interior 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.
 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.

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.

Human Entry 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 (e.g., reroute around a newly identified hazard, assign room-clearing sequence, keep separation distances, enforce time-on-task).

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 / egress, 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.

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 teamleader "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 teamlead etc on this part of the mission? 
2. Teamlead
   1. At what level of detail does the teamlead require Situation Awareness? Which info do they need? Does this differ per situation? 
   2. In what way does teamlead 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 Teamlead 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 teamlead have? Are they always close to the operator/analyst (shouting distance), or not?
   5. How do the analyst and teamlead communicate? Via talking in person, or via radio? 
   6. What are the needs of the teamlead, 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?