Arachne: A Modular Teleoperated Mobility and Sensor System for Insinuation into Collapsed Structures

Events in recent years have emphasized the need for a small, highly mobile system that can effectively insinuate a sensor payload into underground or collapsed structures. In the aftermath of the World Trade Center disaster, robots showed great promise in aiding search and rescue by penetrating into areas too dangerous for personnel to enter. However, their relatively large size (on the order of feet, not inches), made penetration deep into the rubble difficult. In order to improve sensor insinuation into collapsed or underground structures, Foster-Miller, Inc. and 18th Street Innovations, LLC (CMU Robotics Institute spin-off) propose to develop the Arachne robotic system. Arachne is a small, tethered mobility and sensing module. Each Arachne module is highly mobile and houses a tether spool that carries 30 m of tether. The small size and high mobility of Arachne increases penetration and sensor insinuation depth by enabling the system to fit through small passages that were previously inaccessible to larger robots. Arachne has the distinct advantage of being able to form long linked chains of identical modules. The modules can be actively disengaged and reengaged mid-mission, providing unprecedented mission flexibility and insinuation capability. (P-040167)