Design and testing of a universal platform for search and rescue operation: Exploring indoor and outdoor potentials

Cafolla, Daniele; Marcela, Betsy Dayana; Xie, Xianghua

doi:10.1016/j.robot.2025.105237

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Design and testing of a universal platform for search and rescue operation: Exploring indoor and outdoor potentials

Daniele Cafolla

, Betsy Dayana Marcela Chaparro Rico

, Xianghua Xie

Robotics and Autonomous Systems, Volume: 196, Start page: 105237

Swansea University Authors: Daniele Cafolla , Betsy Dayana Marcela Chaparro Rico , Xianghua Xie

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DOI (Published version): 10.1016/j.robot.2025.105237

Abstract

Large-scale natural and human-caused disasters have created significant challenges for worldwide Search and Rescue (SAR) operations, highlighting persisting concerns related to the efficiency and technical limitations of existing technologies. To address these challenges, the proposed Universal Plat...

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Published in:	Robotics and Autonomous Systems
ISSN:	0921-8890 1872-793X
Published:	Elsevier BV 2026
Online Access:	Check full text
URI:	https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa70746

first_indexed	2025-10-21T15:33:33Z
last_indexed	2025-11-08T06:17:00Z
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spelling	2025-11-07T10:41:50.1883602 v2 70746 2025-10-21 Design and testing of a universal platform for search and rescue operation: Exploring indoor and outdoor potentials ac4feae4da44720e216ab2e0359e4ddb 0000-0002-5602-1519 Daniele Cafolla Daniele Cafolla true false fab062f51ecae36a295bd5c53e03fef5 0000-0002-6874-2508 Betsy Dayana Marcela Chaparro Rico Betsy Dayana Marcela Chaparro Rico true false b334d40963c7a2f435f06d2c26c74e11 0000-0002-2701-8660 Xianghua Xie Xianghua Xie true false 2025-10-21 MACS Large-scale natural and human-caused disasters have created significant challenges for worldwide Search and Rescue (SAR) operations, highlighting persisting concerns related to the efficiency and technical limitations of existing technologies. To address these challenges, the proposed Universal Platform for Search and Rescue integrates various technologies, including a voice-guided control system, advanced 3D reconstruction techniques, and a people tracker and follower system. A central feature of our work is the platform’s universality: our system acts as an additional, modular controller that can connect to any robotic platform—commercial or custom—that supports text-based command communication via network or cable. The system does not replace original robot logic, but rather extends capabilities with minimal integration. Tests showed that the platform can effectively execute voice commands and track a specified route even in high-wind (23 km/h) and noisy environments (70–100 dB for the Drone, 65–99.6 dB for the Quadruped), providing a user-friendly and intuitive interaction for users across different skill levels. Performance metrics indicated strong quality in 3D scene reconstruction with significant similarity between the reconstructed images and reference images (Drone: indoor: 0.82 SSIM, outdoor: 0.81 SSIM; Quadruped: indoor: 0.79 SSIM, outdoor: 0.58 SSIM). Consequently, the immersive 3D mapping reconstruction facilitated prompt and precise terrain assessments for both internal and external operations. Furthermore, the integration of real-time video streaming and cloud-based connectivity optimized the data flow and strengthened communication during operations, allowing person face identification, 3D tracking, and following. Journal Article Robotics and Autonomous Systems 196 105237 Elsevier BV 0921-8890 1872-793X Search and rescue automation; Voice-guided control; Immersive 3D mapping; Adaptive multi-robot integration; Open-world robotics 1 2 2026 2026-02-01 10.1016/j.robot.2025.105237 COLLEGE NANME Mathematics and Computer Science School COLLEGE CODE MACS Swansea University SU Library paid the OA fee (TA Institutional Deal) Swansea University 2025-11-07T10:41:50.1883602 2025-10-21T16:29:07.6166277 Faculty of Science and Engineering School of Mathematics and Computer Science - Computer Science Daniele Cafolla 0000-0002-5602-1519 1 Betsy Dayana Marcela Chaparro Rico 0000-0002-6874-2508 2 Xianghua Xie 0000-0002-2701-8660 3 70746__35582__8d41bbd37cec4fd694206fadf470ddbc.pdf 70746.VOR.pdf 2025-11-07T10:38:04.9392524 Output 28920292 application/pdf Version of Record true © 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons CC-BY license. true eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
title	Design and testing of a universal platform for search and rescue operation: Exploring indoor and outdoor potentials
spellingShingle	Design and testing of a universal platform for search and rescue operation: Exploring indoor and outdoor potentials Daniele Cafolla Betsy Dayana Marcela Chaparro Rico Xianghua Xie
title_short	Design and testing of a universal platform for search and rescue operation: Exploring indoor and outdoor potentials
title_full	Design and testing of a universal platform for search and rescue operation: Exploring indoor and outdoor potentials
title_fullStr	Design and testing of a universal platform for search and rescue operation: Exploring indoor and outdoor potentials
title_full_unstemmed	Design and testing of a universal platform for search and rescue operation: Exploring indoor and outdoor potentials
title_sort	Design and testing of a universal platform for search and rescue operation: Exploring indoor and outdoor potentials
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author_id_fullname_str_mv	ac4feae4da44720e216ab2e0359e4ddb_*_Daniele Cafolla fab062f51ecae36a295bd5c53e03fef5__Betsy Dayana Marcela Chaparro Rico b334d40963c7a2f435f06d2c26c74e11_**_Xianghua Xie
author	Daniele Cafolla Betsy Dayana Marcela Chaparro Rico Xianghua Xie
author2	Daniele Cafolla Betsy Dayana Marcela Chaparro Rico Xianghua Xie
format	Journal article
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container_start_page	105237
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description	Large-scale natural and human-caused disasters have created significant challenges for worldwide Search and Rescue (SAR) operations, highlighting persisting concerns related to the efficiency and technical limitations of existing technologies. To address these challenges, the proposed Universal Platform for Search and Rescue integrates various technologies, including a voice-guided control system, advanced 3D reconstruction techniques, and a people tracker and follower system. A central feature of our work is the platform’s universality: our system acts as an additional, modular controller that can connect to any robotic platform—commercial or custom—that supports text-based command communication via network or cable. The system does not replace original robot logic, but rather extends capabilities with minimal integration. Tests showed that the platform can effectively execute voice commands and track a specified route even in high-wind (23 km/h) and noisy environments (70–100 dB for the Drone, 65–99.6 dB for the Quadruped), providing a user-friendly and intuitive interaction for users across different skill levels. Performance metrics indicated strong quality in 3D scene reconstruction with significant similarity between the reconstructed images and reference images (Drone: indoor: 0.82 SSIM, outdoor: 0.81 SSIM; Quadruped: indoor: 0.79 SSIM, outdoor: 0.58 SSIM). Consequently, the immersive 3D mapping reconstruction facilitated prompt and precise terrain assessments for both internal and external operations. Furthermore, the integration of real-time video streaming and cloud-based connectivity optimized the data flow and strengthened communication during operations, allowing person face identification, 3D tracking, and following.
published_date	2026-02-01T05:27:20Z
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Design and testing of a universal platform for search and rescue operation: Exploring indoor and outdoor potentials

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