Inflatable Casualty Retrieval Device

The construction of an inflatable robotic tether unit that will allow retrieval of field casualties is proposed. The unit can be teleoperated by the retrieval personnel to grapple objects or casualties at a distance while storing storage in a very compact form. The inflatable tether will require a very small storage volume, so that one or two units can be carried by the retrieval personnel. Other units can be deployed from secure point or vehicles. When deployed, each unit will have a sensorized end-effector for grappling, including camera, force tranducers, proximity sensors, and accelerometers. The experimental design proposed in Phase I is planned to prove the controllability of such inflatable structures in retrieval applications.