Hexapod robot for enhancing emergency response in disaster scenarios

Target search operations are confronted with substantial obstacles and hazards in unstructured environments, particularly in enclosed spaces such as underground systems and collapsed structures. Traditional human-led efforts have been limited in terms of safety, accessibility, and speed. This paper proposes a hexapod walking robot that can be characterized by its fault tolerance for walking on unstructured terrains. These species mimic the motions and agilities of insects and other arthropods. The robot was equipped with an array of advanced sensors, including 360-degree LiDAR for spatial mapping and obstacle detection, infrared cameras for identifying human heat signatures in low-visibility conditions, and gas sensors for detecting hazardous substances that could pose risks to rescue teams. The hexapod robot combines manual and autonomous operational modes, providing flexible control options and enabling real-time decision making to enhance rescue efficiency while minimizing human risk. The robot has dual communication system namely LoRa and Wi-Fi. The proposed telemetry can receive the control signals above 500 m. The composite leg structure consisting of 3D printed modulator components that could be easily switched based on the environment. The novelty of this work lies in combining a robot’s dynamic stability and locomotion efficiency across various gait cycles with adaptive leg compliance.