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Tele-Operated Rescue Robot

I collaborated with an interdisciplinary team to design and build a tele-operated rescue robot capable of navigating disaster-stricken environments under poor lighting and low-connectivity conditions. Developed at the CMU Robotics Institute, the robot was designed to traverse multi-layer obstacle courses - including climbing stairs, crossing rubble, and withstanding a 2-foot drop - while maintaining robust performance despite network instability.

 

We integrated a Raspberry Pi with BrickPi for motor control and wireless communication, enabling real-time remote operation even in intermittent connectivity. OpenCV was used for basic visual processing, while a durable, 3D-printed drivetrain ensured mechanical resilience during physical stress testing. The system was validated through rigorous obstacle navigation and drop impact tests, demonstrating its viability for search-and-rescue deployment in post-disaster zones.

Navigation in Multi-Story Disaster Environments

An obstacle course simulating disaster response, with rubble, multiple floors, and staged rescue tasks involving LEGO figurines.​

Robot Performance Across Adverse Conditions

1. Climb Steps 

2. Navigate up ramps

3. Rescue LEGO figurine through rubble

Tele-operated in low connectivity conditions

  • All tasks were completed in the dark

  • The robot had its own light source: an LED strip

  • A Raspberry Pi camera was attached to the robot

  • The driver could see the robot through the camera and navigate using the live feed

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