Public Report - ICARUS

PROJECT PUBLIC REPORT
Grant Agreement number 285417

Call identifier SEC 2011.4.2-2
Project Acronym ICARUS
Project title Integrated Components for Assisted Rescue and
Unmanned
andUnmanned Search operations
Search operations
Funding Scheme Collaborative Project
Project Starting date February 01, 2012
Project Duration 48 months
Project Coordinator Royal Military Academy – Geert De Cubber
Issue V7.0
geert.de.cubber@rma.ac.be
Name, title and organisation of the scientific Dr. Geert De Cubber, Royal Military Academy
representative of the project's coordinator (RMA)
Coordinator Telephone Number +32(0)2-44-14106
Coordinator E-Mail Address geert.de.cubber@rma.ac.be
Project website address http://www.fp7-icarus.eu/
Document validated by RMA – Daniela Doroftei
Dissemination Level* PU
(*)
PU = Public.
PP = Restricted to other programme participants (including the Commission Services).
RE = Restricted to a group specified by the consortium (including the Commission Services).
CO = Confidential, only for members of the consortium (including the Commission Services).
Project Public Report v7.0
Table of Contents
1. ..... Executive Summary of the project ......................................................................................... 5
2. ..... Summary description of ICARUS project context and objectives ............................................. 6
3. ..... ICARUS main Scientific and technological results foregrounds ............................................. 11
3.1. User-centered design requirements ..................................................................................... 11

3.2. Sensing................................................................................................................................... 13
3.3. Unmanned Aerial Systems .................................................................................................... 15
3.4. Unmanned Ground Vehicles ................................................................................................. 17
3.5. Unmanned Maritime Platforms ............................................................................................ 19
3.6. Heterogeneous teams and network centric operations ....................................................... 21
3.7. Communication ..................................................................................................................... 24
3.8. Command and Control .......................................................................................................... 27
3.9. Training and Support ............................................................................................................. 29
3.10. Validation of the ICARUS system in an earthquake response scenario ............................ 32
3.11. Validation of the ICARUS system in a marine incident response scenario ....................... 34
4. ..... ICARUS Impact ................................................................................................................... 36
4.1. Impact on the general society and wider societal implications ............................................ 36
4.2. Economic Impact ................................................................................................................... 38
4.3. Main dissemination activities ................................................................................................ 39
4.4. Exploitation of results............................................................................................................ 42
5. ..... Website ............................................................................................................................. 43
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Acronyms & Definitions

AR Augmented Reality
C2I Command, Control and Intelligence
C4I Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence
CAN Controller area network
CMRE Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation
COP Common Operational Picture
CSAP Communication strategy and action plan
DARIUS Deployable SAR Integrated Chain with Unmanned Systems
DOW Description of Work
EC European Commission
EM-DAT Emergency Events Disasters Database (http://www.em-dat.net/ )
EPFL École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
ESRIF European Security Research and Innovation Forum
EU European Union
EUB End-Users Board
EURON EUropean RObotics research Network
FINROC Framework for INtelligent RObot Control
FP Framework Programme
FPGA Field-programmable gate array
GIS Geographic Information System
GPS Global Positioning System
HMI Human Machine Interface
ICD Interface Control Definition
IMU Inertial Measurement Unit
INSARAG International Search and Rescue Advisory Group
I2C Inter-Integrated Circuit
IP Internet Protocol
IPR Intellectual Property Rights
IR Infrared
JAUS Joint Architecture for Unmanned Systems
KoM Kick-off Meeting
LAN Local Area Network
LOS Line of Sight
LUGV Large Unmanned Ground Vehicle
MANET Mobile ad hoc network
NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
MPCS Mission Planning and Coordination System
MSAR Marine Search and Rescue
MST Management Support Team
NETD Noise equivalent temperature difference
NIC Network interface controller
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NIST National Institute of Standards and Technology

OCHA Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
OROCOS Open RObot Control Software
OSOCC On Site Operations Coordination Centre
OSVSD Operational Service Validation Scenario Definition Document
PC Personal Computer
PCB Printed circuit board
PID Proportional–integral–derivative
PMB Project Management Board
PMP Project Management Plan
PVC Polyvinyl chloride
QCD Quantum Cascade Detector
QoS Quality of Service
QSTRR Qualitative Spatio-Temporal Representation and Reasoning
RC Remote Control
RC2 Robot Command and Control
REA Research Executive Agency
RGB Red, Green, Blue
ROIC Readout Integrated Circuits
ROS Robot Operating System
SAB Security Advisory Board
SAR Search And Rescue
SRAD System Requirements and Architecture Definition Document
STAB Scientific and Technical Advisory Board
STANAG Standardisation Agreement
SUGV Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle
TEC Thermoelectric Cooling
TBD To be determined
UAS Unmanned Aerial System
UGV Unmanned Ground Vehicle
UHF Ultra High Frequency
URD User Requirements Document
USA United States of America
USAR Urban Search and Rescue
USB Universal Serial Bus
USV Unmanned Surface Vehicle
UTRO Universal transfer of rights and obligations
UV Unmanned Vehicle
VHF Very High Frequency
VR Virtual Reality
WIMAX Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access
WLAN Wireless local area network
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1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT
Recent dramatic events such as the earthquakes in Nepal and Tohoku, typhoon Haiyan or the many
floods in Europe have shown that local civil authorities and emergency services have difficulties with
adequately managing crises. The result is that these crises lead to major disruption of the whole local
society. On top of the cost in human lives, these crises also result in financial consequences, which
are often extremely difficult to overcome by the affected countries. The goal of ICARUS is to decrease
the total cost of a major crisis. In order to attain this goal, the ICARUS project proposes to equip first
responders with a comprehensive and integrated set of unmanned search and rescue tools, to
increase the situational awareness of human crisis managers, such that more work can be done in a
shorter amount of time. The importance of combining such cognitive robotic systems with on-line
information networks has been recognised by the FP7-Security call 2011.4.2-2, which is the topic
addressed by ICARUS.
As every crisis is different, it is impossible to provide one solution which fits all needs. Therefore, the
ICARUS project will concentrate on developing components or building blocks that can be directly
used by the crisis managers when arriving on the field. Furthermore, the project aims to provide an
integrated proof-of-concept solution, to be evaluated by a board of expert end-users that can ensure
that operational needs are addressed.
The ICARUS project deals with the development of a set of integrated components to assist search
and rescue teams in dealing with the difficult and dangerous, but life-saving task of finding human
survivors. The ICARUS tools consist of assistive unmanned air, ground and sea vehicles, equipped
with victim detection sensors. The unmanned vehicles collaborate as a coordinated team,
communicating via ad hoc cognitive radio networking. To ensure optimal human-robot collaboration,
these tools are seamlessly integrated into the C4I equipment of the human crisis managers and a set
of training and support tools is provided to them to learn to use the ICARUS system.
The ICARUS project does not only focus on the development of tools and services, but also on the
integration of these novel tools into the standard operating procedures of the end-users. Indeed, in
many cases these integration issues, procedural incompatibilities or absence of legal framework are
the main bottlenecks impeding a successful deployment in practical operations and not pure
technological issues. ICARUS therefore concentrates also on placing novel technological tools into the
hands of the end users, thereby driving the acceptance and practical use of these tools.
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2. SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF ICARUS PROJECT CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVES
In the event of large crises, a primordial task of the fire and rescue services is the search for human
survivors on the incident site. This is a complex and dangerous task, which - too often - leads to loss
of lives among the human crisis managers themselves. The introduction of unmanned search and
rescue devices can offer a valuable tool to save human lives and to speed up the search and rescue
process. Therefore, ICARUS concentrates on the development of unmanned search and rescue
technologies for detecting, locating and rescuing humans. In this context, there is a vast literature on
research efforts towards the development of unmanned search and rescue (SAR) tools, notably in the
context of EU-sponsored projects. This research effort stands in contrast to the practical reality in the
field, where unmanned search and rescue tools have great difficulty finding their way to the end-
users. Notable bottlenecks in the practical applicability of unmanned search and rescue tools are:
o Slow deployment time of the current generation of unmanned SAR tools
o Limited autonomy and self-sustainability of the current generation of unmanned SAR tools, both
from a point of view of the robot intelligence and from an energy and mobility perspective
o Limited collaboration between unmanned SAR devices
o Insufficient integration of the current generation of unmanned SAR tools in the C4I equipment
used by fire and rescue services
o Insufficient support and training are available for the end-users to learn to use the unmanned
tools
o Problems of interoperability of (unmanned SAR) equipment when multi-national crisis
management teams need to collaborate on an incident site
The ICARUS project addresses these issues, aiming to bridge the gap between the research
community and end-users, as described in section 3.1. The core objective of the ICARUS project is to
develop robots which have the primary task of gathering data. The unmanned SAR devices are
foreseen to be the first explorers of the area, as well as in situ supporters to act as safeguards to
human personnel. In order not to increase the cognitive load of the human crisis managers, the
unmanned SAR devices will be designed to navigate individually or cooperatively and to follow high-
level instructions from the base station. The robots connect wirelessly to the base station and to
each other, using a wireless self-organising cognitive network of mobile communication nodes which
adapts to the terrain. The unmanned SAR devices are equipped with sensors that detect the
presence of humans and will also be equipped with a wide array of other types of sensors. At the
base station, the data is processed and combined with geographical information, thus enhancing the
situational awareness of the personnel leading the operation with in-situ processed data that can
improve decision-making. All this information will be integrated in existing information systems, used
by the forces involved in the operations. In line with the current bottlenecks, as stated above, eight
main objectives are defined for the ICARUS project. These objectives address the operational needs
of rescue and civil protection services and are defined and evaluated by the end-users using two
main demonstration scenarios (an earthquake response and a marine incident), as described in
sections 3.10 and 3.11.
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Objective 1: Development of a light sensor capable of detecting human beings

The first objective is the development of a small light-weight camera system capable of detecting
human survivors. These prototype cameras will have a resolution of 8x8 pixels arranged in a small
array of 2x2 single chips. They will be based on novel and very promising Quantum Cascade Detector
(QCD) technology. The latter will allow the manufacture of highly sensitive, low noise, narrow band
IR detectors with a detection wavelength of 8 µm. This ultra-sensitive, but relatively low-resolution
QCD camera will be complemented by a commercial high-resolution lower-sensitivity micro-
bolometer camera. Minimal levels of weight (500 g), dimensions (12x12x6 cm) and total power
consumption (5 W) are being targeted. Image and video processing algorithms for detecting human
survivors will be developed and combined to obtain sufficient detection performance. Data fusion
methods will be applied to images coming from different cameras, resulting in different detection
algorithms. The main results of this activity are described in section 3.2.
Objective 2: Development of cooperative Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) tools for unmanned SAR
UAS platforms will be given a crucial role by acting as quick deployment assets in the field to provide
valuable information to enhance situational awareness in support of the assessment of crisis
managers, as well as to enable tactical planning and decision-making. This aerial infrastructure will
also provide continuous support to coordinators and operators in the field, complementing the UGV
and USV solutions. UAS platforms will be equipped with sensors tailored to SAR requirements,
including the QCD camera and victim detection algorithms, allowing for the localisation and tracking
of victims. In order to meet the end user demands, complementary platforms are proposed. A small
long-endurance solar aeroplane is meant to provide the highest view at a maximum height of 300m,
as allowed by national legislation, and therefore enabling the mapping functionality and initial victim
search. Payload other than small cameras is limited, but operation times span up to a day. With
shorter range and endurance, but closer to the ground and the victims, two rotary wing systems are
to be deployed. A Quadrotor with a size of 1m and a maximum payload of 1kg will be used for
delivery tasks outdoors and observation. A slightly smaller multicopter will be used for indoor people
search. Consequently, on-board autonomous functionalities will be developed to decrease the
operator workload and increase the operational efficiency in the overall C4I system. The main results
of this activity are described in section 3.3.
Objective 3: Development of cooperative Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) tools for unmanned
SAR
The ICARUS project considers the production of the two types of robotic systems, using existing base
platforms:
o The Large UGV (LUGV) that shall be part of the ICARUS project shall serve as a platform fulfilling
several central tasks. After being deployed close to the site of an emergency, it shall move in a
semi-autonomous way in a potentially hazardous and unknown environment. The LUGV can act
as a mobile sensor platform, gathering a large amount of precise data is necessary for (semi-)
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autonomous navigation in challenging environments as well as for the support of emergency

teams. The UGV shall also be used to transport the small UGV and shall be equipped with a
powerful manipulator that can be used to clear the vehicle’s path from obstacles like small
debris.
o A smaller UGV shall gather more information about areas which the LUGV cannot reach. The
small UGV will be able to enter in collapsed buildings to search for human victims, an extremely
dangerous but also life-saving task. The SUGV will be equipped with a propulsion system allowing
it to manoeuvre in highly unstructured environments like collapsed buildings.
The main results of this activity are described in section 3.4.
Objective 4: Development of cooperative Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) tools for unmanned
SAR
This project proposes two main lines of work in order to address the identified demands. On one
hand the project will present the instrumentation of a survival capsule to allow its motion towards
survivors at the surface. On another hand the project will undertake the adaptation of a medium size
USV for search and rescue operations. Existing survival capsules that usually inflate when deployed
allow survivors to climb aboard providing extra floatation and thermal insulation. The incorporation
of power generation capabilities, a minimal set of instruments, basic communication equipment, and
motion capabilities on board these capsules, will increase the lifesaving capabilities of such devices
allowing their use in scenarios with reduced accessibility for other search and rescue services. USVs,
as unmanned systems, allow remote human intervention under severe environmental conditions
without putting additional people at risk. They have therefore a large potential for SAR operations at
sea, especially under bad weather conditions with low visibility. The main results of this activity are
described in section 3.5.
Objective 5: Heterogeneous robot collaboration between Unmanned Search and Rescue devices
This objective is focused on a key enabling technology concept for the safe integration of
autonomous platforms into search and rescue operations: the heterogeneous network. The project
specifically addresses the intrinsic capabilities and characteristics of a given platform, and how these
characteristics are communicated, understood, and exploited by the rest of the SAR system
(including human teams, infrastructures, and other autonomous vehicles within the ICARUS
integration concept). The present objective therefore addresses the integration of heterogeneous
teams into a single, unified, interoperable system through establishing and demonstrating the
interactions and use cases of different vehicle types. The application of search and rescue influences
the definition and interactions of the network, and this project objective addresses the
interoperability challenges and the robust definition and specification of tasks, and roles and
responsibilities between the autonomous capacity of the heterogeneous team and the mission-level
tasking and supervision of the C2I system in network-centric operations. The main results of this
activity are described in section 3.6.
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Objective 6: Development of a self-organising cognitive wireless communication network, ensuring

network interoperability
ICARUS will develop a network infrastructure which adapts to and, at the same time, takes advantage
of the peculiarities of the posed SAR scenarios. A holistic approach will be followed, reusing state-of-
the art solutions conveniently and focusing investigation on unsolved challenging issues:
o Mobile and wireless ad-hoc communications in combined land-air-sea environments with
robotic and human actors, supporting both Line-of-Sight (LOS) and non-LOS scenarios.
o Self-coordination and optimisation of spectrum resources by using cross-layer cognitive radio
techniques maximising network usability and minimising interferences.
o Self-managed network able to adapt to varying and extreme conditions by using power-
efficient, failure-resilient protocols (e.g. active routing, data-replication, store-and-forward)
and convenient guidance of robotic network nodes with specific communication capabilities.
o Flexible security scheme providing granular encryption, integrity and authentication.
o A harmonised management and control overlay on top of a highly robust waveform, able to
encompass several data-link technologies (WLAN, GSM) ensuring interoperability.
The main results of this activity are described in section 3.7.
Objective 7: Integration of Unmanned Search and Rescue tools in the command and control
systems of the Human Search and Rescue forces
ICARUS aims at developing (robot) platform independent monitoring and control capabilities that will
be able to handle, process and integrate a wide variety of data flows coming from sources such as
the robotic platforms’ sensors, human beings (bystanders) in the field, GIS displaying a priori
knowledge about the intervention field, etc. The resulting information and knowledge will primarily
be exploited at the command and control application level, in order to effectively provide human
operators with a high level of awareness allowing them to lead the robotic activities in a coordinated
way with humans on field activities. As a noticeable feature, the command and control centre will
provide a haptic tele-presence workstation allowing real-time control of haptic compliant robotic
arms. The command and control system will be designed to promote interoperability of the
controlled systems, as well as aiming for seamless integration into existing infrastructure and
applications used by first responders. The main results of this activity are described in section 3.8.
Objective 8: Development of a training and support system for the developed Unmanned Search
and Rescue Tools for the Human Search and Rescue teams
In the ICARUS project several types of unmanned vehicles will be used, so from a training point of
view the main objective is to deliver software tools that can simulate such a system. Different types
of simulation (ground, air, water) will be developed and integrated to perform complex training of
future ICARUS operators. The training tool will be capable of simulating predefined scenarios where
virtual robots would send sensor data to the Command and Control Component operated by rescue
services so that they can assess the simulated emergency and act accordingly. Furthermore,
scenarios could be recorded from past events and then re-run for training purposes by using this
tool. The Command and Control Component for support rescue services will integrate all sources of
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spatial information such as maps of the affected area, satellite images and sensor data coming from
the unmanned robots in order to provide a situation snapshot to the rescue team and thus facilitate
decision-making. The interactive human-machine interface that uses semantic information to
operate robots will be used for rescue operations. The Command and Control Component will equip
rescue teams with ICARUS robots. Control decisions will be coordinated and supervised and
therefore tasks will be executed with decreased risk. The main results of this activity are described in
section 3.9.
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3. ICARUS MAIN SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL RESULTS FOREGROUNDS

3.1.USER-CENTERED DESIGN REQUIREMENTS
ICARUS is an end-user driven project, aiming to bridge the gap between the end users and the
research community. This is a key differentiating factor and focus point of the ICARUS project.
Indeed, it has no sense to invest in the development of high-tech tools when these tools are not
useable by the end users on the terrain in practice. It has been the main focus of ICARUS to always
let the end users drive the developments, by letting them define the user requirements, involving
them in the tool development process and certainly let them assess the final resulting products in
operational validation scenarios. Furthermore, it has to be taken into account that the practical use
on the terrain of the ICARUS tools stands or falls with the acceptance of these tools by the end users.
Therefore, we have gone through great efforts to put these tools in the hands of the end-users,
explaining them the advantages of the systems and – maybe even more importantly – also pointing
out the disadvantages and the limitations.
A major testimony of the statement that ICARUS is very committed to end user validation, driving
acceptance and to the integration of the unmanned tools into the standard operating procedures of
relief workers was the intervention with an unmanned system in a real crisis theatre, in response to
the floods in Bosnia - Herzegovina. In spring 2014, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia were hit hard
by catastrophic massive flooding, leading to at least 53 deaths and affecting millions of people. The
EU Civil Protection Mechanism was activated due to the catastrophic crisis and (among many others)
the Belgian state offered help by sending in the B-FAST team. Along with the B-FAST team, ICARUS
partner RMA sent an expert in robotics and an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) in order to assist the
team for task such as damage assessment, dike breach detection, mapping, aerial inspection and for
re-localizing the many explosive remnants of war which had been displaced due to the landslides and
which created an extremely dangerous situation for the local population and the relief workers. To
our knowledge, this was the first ever international deployment of an unmanned aerial system by an
official state-run USAR team (so, not an NGO, relief organization, manufacturer, technology center,
..) in another country. The mission was highly successful, providing assistance on the crisis sites not
only for several international relief
teams (B-FAST, THW, …), but also for
the Bosnian Mine Action Centre. As
we were during the mission tightly
integrated with these end-users and
their procedures, this provided a
deep insight in their requirements,
procedures, indica-ting also the
bottlenecks towards the integration
of unmanned systems in the
standard operating procedures of
the SAR workers.
One of the most important ICARUS
actions related to the end users ICARUS deployed with B-FAST in Bosnia
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relations was the compilation of the user requirements. A dual approach was followed specifically
tailored towards the USAR and MSAR users. The SAR end-user community was prospected to select
key players that would be willing to collaborate, thereby using multiple methods of information
gathering: membership of the end-user board, online surveys, personal interviews with key
stakeholders and – most importantly - involvement and feedback from end users during operational
tests of prototype ICARUS systems. The result of all these activities culminated in the compilation of
a user requirements document defining clearly the needs of urban and marine SAR teams related to
unmanned tools. This document is of high value as it can also be used an input to policy for the
introduction of unmanned tools is SAR operations. Both UN-INSARAG and EU-DG-ECHO have
therefore already shown their interest in this work.
The information from the end-users was transformed into an architectural solution, thereby
specifying the requirements of all systems involved in ICARUS. To assess the performance of the final
systems against these user and system requirements, operational validation scenarios were defined
for all ICARUS components. The approach followed for conceptualizing the validation scenarios is
inspired by the approach followed by the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST). In
this context, each of the validation scenarios consists of three aspects: a detailed scenario, a
capability score sheet and a score sheet for the different metrics (Key Performance Indicators). This
makes it possible to qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate the performance of the different tools
during the demonstrations, following standardised procedures as defined in an operational service
validation scenarios definition document. This is again a very important document, with a high
potential impact as all unmanned tools which would in the future be integrated in SAR operations
will be required to be tested, validated and certified using agreed procedures and this document
spreads a basis for doing this work. For this reason, the work done in this context has received
interest from UN-INSARAG, EU-DG-ECHO and the
Japanese government.
ICARUS made a point of deeply committing end-
users with its activities. As a testimony to this
statement it can be mentioned that the final land
demonstration was attended by around 100 key
stakeholders. ICARUS was also recognized as an
important player by end-user organisations, which
led to invitations for high level events, such as the
UN World Conference in Disaster Risk Reduction in
Sendai, Japan and the yearly UN-INSARAG team leaders meetings and the 2015 INSARAG Global
Meeting. Also on more policy related matters, ICARUS was able to make an impact, as ICARUS had
the honour to be invited by DG-ECHO to set up an outdoor demonstration during the EU Civil
Protection Forum, where Mr Christos Stylianides, EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis
Management inspected the ICARUS tools during the first-ever legal flight of an RPAS in the EU capital
(organized by ICARUS).
In collaboration with the CRASAR team in the USA, a set of best practices towards end-users was
compiled based on lessons learnt from real operations and technological innovations obtained. These
best practices provide a quick reference guide for governments agencies and NGO’s who want to
incorporate unmanned tools in their operations.
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3.2.SENSING
One of the most critical and important tasks for crisis management in case of a large-scale disaster is
the search for human survivors. To maximize the chances of survival, victims have to be fount as fast
and efficient as possible. Icarus has proven that unmanned vehicles equipped with advanced sensing
technology are an excellent choice for this task, which have numerous advantages compared to
classical human search and rescue teams. An integral part of the overall concept is optical sensing
technology, which has to be combined with fast data acquisition, processing, and software for human
detection. The partners in the Sensing Workpackage addressed the major challenges for hard and
software systems for victim detection on unmanned vehicles.
In a first step, a detailed evaluation of the requirements for optical systems for victim detection was
performed. User cases were considered and a high level architecture was developed. An analysis and
comparison of commercial visible and infrared cameras was provided.
For many systems, commercial visible and infrared cameras are sufficient. Mechatronics integration
was performed and the Icarus Common Sensing and Processing Unit was developed. For airborne
detection, the best solution is the Visual Inertial (VI) – Sensor. It has been successfully integrated into
three of the ICARUS UAS fleet, namely the endurance airplane, the outdoors Quadrotor, and the
Multicopter.
The ICARUS Common Sensing and Processing Unit is based on two commercial visible light cameras for stereo-vision and
one FLIR camera for mid-infrared vision. It was integrated into several ICARUS platforms
Commercial mid-infrared cameras have limited detection speed and it is difficult to achieve low noise
levels. The partners in the Sensing Workpackage investigated if these challenges can be overcome
using another approach for semiconductor mid-infrared cameras. They developed the first quantum
cascade detector (QCD) pixel arrays. In combination with the commercial FLIR camera that operates
in a different spectral region, this will enable differentiation between black-body radiation sources
and other heat sources, allowing separating humans from other hot objects.
In a first step, the work package partners theoretically investigated photonic cascade semiconductors
and developed novel simulation tools for photonic semiconductor structures. These simulations were
the foundation for optimized designs, which were successfully produced in semiconductor growth
facilities in Austria. The WP partners achieved a major break-through in quantum-cascade detector
technology. The semiconductor chips represent now the current state of the art: they have an order
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of magnitude higher responsivity than previously achieved for QCDs. The ICARUS partners developed
the first quantum cascade pixel array detector that was ever manufactured. They achieved a full
processing cycle for the QCD detector, starting from the semiconductor growth and finishing with the
final detector.
The WP partners achieved a scientific breakthrough in photonic semiconductors that have high
visibility and make QCDs highly attractive for numerous novel applications. Icarus results enabled a
new approach for a sensing device that was honoured with the Photonics21 Student Innovation
Award.
From semiconductor chip to final hermetically sealed detector
An environment hostile to electronics and harsh conditions during the field of applications is a major
challenge for the detector housing, which greatly affects the camera systems in addition to high
mechanical loads on the vehicles. To meet these requirements, the WP partners developed an
appropriate integration and packaging technology, which is fully hermetically sealed and supports
operation at environmental temperatures.
Moreover, the partners showed a proof-of-principle experiment for remote CO2 detection,
demonstrating that systems for survivor detection based on this technology are in principle feasible.
Another important task in the Sensing Workpackage was the development of control, acquisition,
and detection software. Control software addressing individual detector elements for processing on
the ICARUS host platform was successfully developed. Efficient methods for stereovision and camera
calibration were implemented and software development for human detection based on data from
all camera types was finished.
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3.3.UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEMS
The ICARUS unmanned aerial systems (UAS) consist of a team of aerial robots. Their main objectives
is to provide fast and reliable aerial information to the search and rescue (SAR) teams during their
planning and mission phase improving the time to rescue and the efficient allocation of the SAR
resources.
Three different robots are developed and

adapted for assistance of the SAR teams. They
all equip the same visual-inertial sensor
developed for the UAS. This sensor suite can
synchronise visual and thermal images
together with IMU data which can be used for
further map generation.
The solar powered fixed-wing UAS
AtlantikSolar has improved endurance
capabilities to stay airborne for multiple days
due to the integrated solar cells on the wings.
ICARUS UAS fleet. Top: AtlantikSolar from ETH. Bottom left:
AROT from EURECAT. Bottom right: Skybotix indoor multirotor
This was shown with a successful flight
demonstration to break a new world record of
over 81 hours continuous flight by travelling 2316km in July 2015 in Switzerland. The integrated
autopilot can effectively track a given waypoint path while copying with strong winds and is capable
of autonomous landing. Thus, it can autonomously execute an inspection mission while covering a
large area or simply stay airborne and act as a communication relay with its integrated WiFi antenna.
It only needs high-level supervision over the C2I while controlling the UAS.
The equipped payload consists of a visual and thermal camera to provide aerial imagery. Together
with its fast deployment time, the fixed-wing UAS is an effective mean to gather first visual
information from the disaster area. After returning from its mission, the stored imagery are
downloaded to the ground station where the imagery is processed to build a dense 3D map of the
environment.
Furthermore, victims can be
detected using the combined
visual and thermal images. A
notification is send to the C2I
system such that the SAR
teams are aware of potential
victim locations.
The visual information
gathered form the fixed-wing
3D dense map from Marche-en-Famenne Thermal images with detected UAS are taken from a height
provided by UAS. victim positions of approximately 200 m
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above ground, thus it cannot provide information of specific disaster side details. Thus, by arriving at
the disaster side, the SAR teams can deploy the rotary-wing UAS AROT. The SAR teams can use the
AROT UAS to gather information about object with a high rate of detail and precision. Its capability to
hover enables it to fly at close proximity to interesting object.
The AROT UAS is equipped with both visual

and thermal cameras. A high power
processor can calculate a detailed map of
the object online and send it to the C2I. The
UGVs and SAR teams can use this
information to plan their further actions. The
integrated victim detection algorithm can
automatically detect victims, to verify the
victims found by the fixed-wing UAS and to
Detailed 3D map provided by the AROT UAS detect missed ones. Close inspection of the
victims can give some visual feedback of
their health. Thy UAS can track the victims until help is arriving or it can use the integrated delivery
mechanism to drop a lightweight emergency kit or a water bottle to help the victims directly.
The UAS provides direct visual feedback for the pilot to control the UAS. Its versatile control provides
different types of user interaction with the pilot ranging from complete manual control, position hold
to complete waypoint following and autonomous start and landing from the C2I depending on the
mission objective.
The indoor multirotor UAS is capable of providing first-hand information of potentially collapsed
indoor environments. The UAS has a small footprint, which allows easy access into building by small
holes or open windows. Protection units can protect the propeller from unintentional hits with the
surroundings. It has the advantage to fly and explore obstructed buildings, which are hardly to be
trespassed by UGVs and too dangerous for being accessed by people. Its focus relies on providing a
live feed from its visual and thermal cameras to the SAR teams.
In order to fly in such cluttered environments, the UAS has a high autonomy. It can used the stereo
camera set to identify online the obstacles in the rooms. It generates an occupancy grid map and
localise itself within it. With this map, it is aware of potential obstacles and autonomously avoids
them. It can be tele-operated over
visual feedback to fly from room to
room. Further, it can communicate
and be operated over the C2I
system and send the visual and
thermal streams. Using the live
imagery, the SAR teams can thus
search for victims inside the building
and gain insight of the building and
Generated map for collision avoidance. its structural stability.
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3.4.UNMANNED GROUND VEHICLES
Two UGVs were employed in ground operations, the SUGV and LUGV (Small and Large Unmanned
Ground Vehicle).
The LUGV was used in the project as tele-

operated heavy duty ground robot.
The main intended task for this machine is to
grant access to the SAR wherever the way is
obstructed by debris.
During the deployment phase LUGV is able to
follow a path composed by multiple waypoints,
localizing itself using the GPS and other
navigation sensors.
A pair of laser scanners mounted both forward
and backward and a stereo-camera allow proper environment sensing with the aim to avoid eventual
obstacles and create a navigation map.
The safety during navigation is provided by a safety chain consisting of four emergency stop buttons
on the machine (one per each side) and a wireless emergency stop control. Whenever one of the
button is pressed or the communication with the wireless control is lost for some reason the robot
motion is completely stopped and broken, as well as the arm.
A gas sensor was mounted during the final demonstration to alarm SAR operators in case of leakage
of hazardous gases.
The LUGV demonstrated to be able to break concrete walls and to remove debris obstructing access
to destroyed buildings. These tasks were performed mounting either a jackhammer or a gripper on
its hydraulic arm, with the operator controlling the manipulator using a remote control. In test phase
such arm was proven to be controlled by the exoskeleton from WP320.
Mounting instead a box on the arm it is relatively easy to transport SUGV and deploy it on top of the
roof of a building whose access from ground level is not possible.
LUGV deploying SUGV on a roof LUGV removing debris
The SUGV has a configuration that is similar to LUGV but its intended scope is different. Its compact
dimensions make it suitable for entering level buildings, exploring and looking for victims.
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With a camera mounted on the arm’s

gripper it is able to extend visual
feedback to small holes and
inaccessible corners.
Equipped with caterpillars, it can drive
over rubble, stairs and uneven ground.
Beside the basic telemetry sensors it is
possible to notice two small laser
scanners on the sides and a Kinect2
device in the front, such sensors
provide a 3D point cloud that is used
for mapping and navigation.
In a similar way as LUGV, a two-dimensional map is created on-board and used for safe navigation.
The collision avoidance software helps the operator to drive safely in hazardous environment
without hitting obstacles. Such feature becomes critical when the delay in communication makes
difficult a precise motion control.
Cameras are mounted on the gripper, on the forward and backward side. A CO2 sensor provides
measurements about CO2 level in the air.
After locating a possible victim a voice communication between the latter and the SAR operator is
possible via the speaker and microphone available on SUGV. Basic instructions can be given to
reassure the victim and an emergency kit or water bottle can be carried.
SUGV was connected to the C2I framework and controlled remotely by the operator using a joypad
and the feedback from cameras and other sensors. The C2I operator has several information about
the robot such as its GPS position, inclination, battery level, CO2 readings and manipulator joints
values. The motion can be controlled manually with the joypad or semi-autonomously sending a list
of GPS waypoints that the robot has to reach in sequence.
The communication with the C2I was done using an improved wireless infrastructure. For this reason,
a communication box and several omnidirectional antennas were mounted on top.
An important feature realized within the project
was the haptic control of the manipulator using
the exoskeleton provided by WP320. Standing in
front of the C2I control station, the operator was
able to open a door from the handle using only
the visual feedback from the manipulator
camera and a 3D model of the arm position.
To help the operator in opening doors and
manipulating objects a laser pointer has been
mounted on the gripper. Such pointer projects a
SUGV arm controlled by exoskeleton
light pattern on to the object to be grasped,
basing on the pattern size and shape the
operator can estimate the distance between the
gripper and the object.
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3.5.UNMANNED MARITIME PLATFORMS
Development of a robotized survival capsule
The robotized survival capsule is a robotic surface platform that carries an uninflated life raft and is
able to inflate it close to survivors. Due to its characteristics, the capsule can approach survivors
without endangering them and automatically inflate the life raft close to them. It constitutes,
therefore, the last element in the ICARUS integrated toolkit for maritime search and rescue.
This capsule can perform autonomous operations or be remotely operated from a control station,
through a radio link. It is equipped with several sensors including a video camera to gather
information about the victims state.
Robotized capsule with life raft before inflation (left) and after inflation (right).
The capsule is 1.5m long and 0.5m wide and weights 20kg. It has a payload capacity exceeding 15kg,
allowing for the transportation of a 4 people life raft. It is propelled by a fully protected water jet
system powered by an electric engine. It can reach a top speed of 5 knots and can operate for 20min
at a 3knots, resulting in a maximum range of 2km.
Development of capsule deployment system
The capsule deployment system is a mechanical structure that can the adapted to different
unmanned surface vessels (USVs) in order to carry robotized capsules to remote areas and launch
them near detected victims. It was designed in a modular way so that it can be used to transport one
or more capsules and be installed on USVs with different characteristics. To increase flexibility and
simplify installation procedures, these structures also include an electronics box that is responsible
for the release of the capsules via a radio command.
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Deployment system installed on U-Ranger USV (left) and ROAZ II USV (right).
USV Sensing and Perception
The following results were obtained:
 Algorithms for the detection of victims on the water using visible and thermal cameras and
geo-referencing of their position, allowing for detections at distances up to 200 m;
 Algorithms for detection of obstacles on the water combining information from multiple
sensors, including radar and multilayer laser scanner.
USV Behavior sets
Main achievements:
 Development and implementation of high level behaviors on USVs endowing them with
increased autonomy allowing remote operators or mission supervisors to focus on payload
data (victim detection, situation awareness) rather than in the operation of the USVs
themselves; these behaviors include loitering, waypoint tracking, obstacle avoidance, and
dynamic reference tracking;
Development and implementation of reactive collision avoidance modes on USVs in accordance to

COLREGs (International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea), increasing the safety of USV
operation and contributing
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3.6.HETEROGENEOUS TEAMS AND NETWORK CENTRIC OPERATIONS
The ICARUS project involves a team of assistive unmanned air, ground and sea vehicles. In order to
support the human crisis managers, they must collaborate as a coordinated, seamlessly-integrated
team in the single Command and Control Station (C2I) in the field.
A heterogeneous fleet is the one composed by elements of different types such as the ICARUS team
that includes up to nine different types of vehicles. Each of these robots has been developed by a
different ICARUS partner, using their own designs, development frameworks and middlewares. Thus,
a strong effort had to be devoted to their integration as a single team, which was the responsibility of
this work package.
The ultimate objective was to achieve systems interoperability, which can be understood as the
ability of robots to operate in synergy to the execution of assigned missions and, therefore, enables
diverse teams to work together, sharing data, intelligence and resources. ICARUS has proposed the
adaptation of all the vehicles to a single standard external interface as a method to ensure
interoperability. Each single team kept using their own tools inside their systems as long as the
interaction with the rest of the team was ruled by an interoperability standard. This approach
provided a common framework for the development of the unmanned assets, minimizing the
integration time and costs by avoiding custom implementations.
Our strategy in terms of interoperability was to build upon existing body of work in the field, avoiding
duplicating and re-inventing proven technology. During the initial steps of the work, the most
relevant multi-domain interoperability protocols for unmanned systems were identified and
evaluated against the ICARUS requirements and foreseen scenarios. As an outcome of this analysis,
the ICARUS standard interface for interoperability is heavily based on the Joint Architecture for
Unmanned Systems (JAUS). Gaps identified during the analysis were filled by extending the protocol
with the required functionality.
All this functionality is provided to the robot manufacturers as a software library referred to as
ICARUS interoperability layer. Just by instantiating a software module named JAUSRobot, the vehicles
automatically become compliant with the standard. This module acts as a bridge between their
internal and external worlds. This interoperability layer is also responsible for the integration of the
ICARUS communication network and the Command and Control Station on each individual platform.
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Robot’s adaptation strategy
The validation of these developments were organized as a series of operations involving different
combinations of pairs of air, ground and sea vehicles during the integration trials carried out in 2014.
The aim was to demonstrate the achievements in terms of system interoperability. Some examples
of the multi-robot collaboration experimented during ICARUS are described here and illustrated in
the images below:
 Multi-stage aerial reconnaissance, mapping and victim search: a fixed-wing UAV provides an
initial assessment of the disaster area to identify the critical sectors, followed by an
outdoors multirotors UAV providing a close-up look at a single sector.
 Multi-domain indoors victims search: a small ground robot and a small indoors multirotors
cooperate in search for survivors inside a building.
 Multi-domain victims search in water: a fixed-wing, a multirotor and surface vehicles
cooperate searching for survivors in the water.
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Examples of collaborative mapping and victim search missions:

Multi-UAV operating outdoors (top left), Ground+Aerial operating indoors (top right), Aerial+Sea missions (bottom)
After this mid-project validations by pairs, three full-team validations were performed during the
final project demonstrations:
 the maritime trials and demonstration in Alfeite, Lisbon (Portugal) in July 2015,
 the land trials and demonstration in Marche-en-Famenne (Belgium) in August 2015
 and the participation in the euRathlon competition in September 2015 where the project
received the Best Multi-Robot Coordination Award by the IEEE Robotics and Automation
Society (RAS)
Together, these large-scale operational exercises complete the validation of the ICARUS
interoperability standard interface. Therefore, ICARUS as a project has demonstrated multi-domain
multi-robot heterogeneous interoperability in realistic Search and Rescue operations.
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3.7.COMMUNICATION
ICARUS Tactical Communications Network
Communications (COM) have become a key concern in large crisis events which involve numerous
organisations, human responders and an increasing amount of unmanned systems which offer
precious but bandwidth-hungry situational awareness capabilities. The ICARUS team in charge of
COM provisioning —lead by INTEGRASYS with contributions from RMA and QUOBIS— has designed,
implemented and tested in real-life conditions an integrated multi-radio tactical network able to fulfil
the new demands of cooperating high-tech search and rescue teams acting in incident spots. The
ICARUS network offers interoperable and reliable communications with particular consideration of
cooperative unmanned air, sea and land vehicles
During the final project demonstrations conducted at the Almada Camp of the Portuguese Navy and
the Roi Albert Camp of the Belgium Army, the ICARUS network and associated tools have provided
significant value for mission commanders along different mission phases. First, as a powerful
deployment planning tool; and second, as a network management and optimisation tool able to
seamlessly connect all robots telemetry and tele-control capabilities to the ICARUS C2I stations,
mitigating eventual coverage and throughput shortcomings arising during operations.
ICARUS COM working in the Land Demonstration
Communications interoperability and performance optimisation

A real-time management and control middleware (COMMW) has been the key piece enabling
interoperable and resilient tactical communications in the ICARUS scenario of crisis response
operations covering air/sea/land portable and mobile nodes.
The COMMW stack has been designed with fast deployment, interoperability and performance-
based, real-time self-management capabilities in mind. It uses standard datalink technologies (ETSI
DMR and IEEE 802.11x) to transparently offer an unified communication capability. Applications are
provided with flexible end-to-end connectivity and data transfer patterns (including raw transport of
application data over the link layer) along with high-granularity Quality of Service; hiding low-level
details of underlying datalinks. One of the application interfacing options supported in the COMMW
is the JAUS robotic middleware used in ICARUS.
A combination of both centralized and peer-to-peer algorithms provide adaptive and harmonised
handling of radio channels using a cognitive spectrum approach as well as link-layer and network-
layer addressing, routing and capacity management functions; allowing for rapid deployments under
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unknown spectrum occupancy conditions, harsh propagation environments, large throughput

demands and varying platforms constrains.
The COMMW has been implemented on open, Linux-based embedded computing platforms with
proper kernel and user-space extensions enabling an overall optimisation of the network stack;
including the queuing components present in the system data path which may largely affect
throughput and latency of applications.
Regarding WLAN datalinks, the COMMW handles a full-mesh network where key system parameters
affecting the overall network performance particularly range and throughput are controlled and
optimised in real-time according to predefined and reconfigurable operator policies. These
parameters refer to three distinct areas: i) radio link, ii) CSMA/EDCA protocols and ii) mesh routing
protocols
Left: SUGV COM box and set of antennas; Right: ICARUS DMR hardware transceiver
The DMR datalink technology provides coverage over long ranges (typically beyond 5 km in open
areas) and can handle both voice and low-rate data. The so-called soft-DMR modem implemented in
ICARUS enables adaptation of key transmission parameters (e.g., coding rate, delivery mode, channel
access mode or power) on a per- flow basis, accounting for traffic type (data or voice) and required
delay and reliability. Furthermore, a node discovery service and a capacity management protocol
(allowing allocation of throughput levels per node) were implemented to strength the networking
aspects of DMR. All these characteristics make the soft-DMR well suited for networked tactical and
mission critical applications.
The COMMW framework seamlessly integrates and jointly manages both WLAN and DMR links
described above according to dynamic mission requirements. During implementation, ICARUS has
made use of HW/SW mass-market technologies thoroughly engineered for professional performance
exploiting unlicensed spectrum in UHF, 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz bands. In real safety-critical operations,
access to radio spectrum with proper EIRP limits must be guaranteed to ensure required throughput
and operation in long ranges or harsh propagation scenarios such as rubble or indoor. The COMMW
includes by-design specific provisions to ease integration of new datalink technologies and extend
operation to new frequency bands, by adapting the cognitive radio functions to implement any
required spectrum access rules. Existing 802.11 COTS professional transceivers which can tuned to
operate in any band up to 6Ghz will allow to readily reuse all of the COMMW/COMCON 802.11
capabilities in low-frequency spectrum particularly suitable and eventually protected for Public
Protection and Disaster Relief (PPDR) applications. In the migration phase towards
commercialisation, the team is also working on the integration of LTE services; either commercial (if
Page 25
available on crisis location) or PPDR-specific (e.g. operating in the 700MHz) to be used as a

complementary incident-spot capacity as an interconnection means between distant incident-spots.
While low-layer LTE functions would be out of control of ICARUS COM reducing optimisation
possibilities, the framework is already able to evaluate in real-time the throughput and latency
offered by external networks, which would be used to manage the available capacity as a whole.
Communication management tools for mission operators

The ICARUS COMMW provides a convenient set of tools for mission network operators for easy
configuration of COMMW nodes based on capacity allocation targets for both locally-generated and
relayed traffic; differentiating among individual application flows and supporting latency, reliability
and security requirements in addition to throughput. Operators are provided with a set utilities for
guidance on setting the different configuration parameters. Such settings can be changed
dynamically during the mission execution.
Furthermore, a rich graphical environment called COM console (COMCON) has been developed to
support planning, supervision and optimisation of the integrated multi-radio tactical network,
combining simulation features with real-time Monitoring & Control capabilities.
At planning phase, the COMCON accurately characterizes COM components, propagation
environments, RF interference and vehicles platforms in order to assess global network performance
over wide operation areas; as well as the performance of individual terminals along given mission
routes. This allows in particular to take proper decisions on radio bands and channels; antennas
pattern/polarization and transceiver features for every node in the network. Furthermore, the
eventual need and location of network relays can be assessed. The tool includes in particular
UHF/2.4GHz/5GHz propagation models for indoor, rubble and sea environments; as well as protocol
models of 802.11 mesh networks enabling informed planning of CSMA-related parameters and
reliable estimation of throughput performance.
ICARUS COM Console used in mission planning and in mission operations
At operations phase, the COMCON features a centralized monitoring of all key parameters affecting
the network performance, allowing to mitigate coverage and throughput problems by timely
reconfiguration and eventual reallocation of nodes. Some optimisation actions those of limited
scope are performed automatically by the COMMW itself, while some others those of wider
scope will require human operator intervention to decide the best solution given the current
mission conditions.
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3.8.COMMAND AND CONTROL
The Command, Control and Intelligence (C2I) system is the central system for generating joint Search
and Rescue (SAR) mission plans consisting of humans and unmanned systems, commanding and
monitoring these assets during field operations. The C2I system consists of the following sub-
systems:
 Mission Planning and Coordinating System (MPCS)
 Robot Command and Control center (RC2)
 Portable Exoskeleton
 Mobile first responder device
The MPCS is a browser based utility that gathers mission functionalities by facilitating central mission
planners to specify missions over an intuitive graphical interface. Maps hosted within a local
Geographic Information System (GIS) forms the basis of this SAR mission planning system. A set of
tools are provided to support mission planners to author SAR mission tasks based on specified
objectives, the assembly analysis of data collected from the mission sections (Common Operational
Picture – COP), visualization or rendering of these data by users and high level monitoring of mission
execution. The MPCS is primarily connected to the SAR first responders – essentially embodied as
RC2s and to external global crisis data sources such as MapAction and GDACS.
The RC2 is a standalone software application that provides the primary field operator user interface
and includes all the tools necessary to monitor and control the multi-domain robots (UAV, UGV and
USV) simultaneously. The RC2 hardware is designed for outdoor use, keeping in line with the end
user requirements. The system consists of a rugged laptop within a portable ruggedized case
integrated with secondary displays, joystick controllers, power supply and wireless communication
Page 27
antennas. Initial tasks are to synchronize mission plans and external crisis data, and deploy the RC2
to the relevant sector designated by the MPCS. The RC2 provides user interfaces and data critical for
the command and control of multiple, heterogeneous robots and allows first responders with mobile
devices to receive the latest mission updates and sectors maps. Robot specific sensor data (cameras,
3D point clouds, robot health etc.) acquired at the RC2 through the ICARUS mesh communication
framework can be visualized, geotagged and fused into the embedded map client which is connected
to a local GIS repository. Robot specific commands and operations are dynamically configured and
made available to the RC2 operator.
The wearable exoskeleton is composed of a 7 degrees of freedom arm (from the shoulder to the
wrist). It is mainly based on rapid prototyping process (laser sintering) with Alumide (composite
aluminium and polyamide) and PA-GF (glass fiber reinforced polyamide). The exoskeleton allows the
RC2 operator to control a robot arm mounted on a ground robot intuitively and accurately,
augmented with force feedback. It interfaces with the RC2 providing high fidelity haptic rendering
consisting of a 3D visual interface of the robot model and its immediate environment.
Using a mobile device, first responders

can push and pull messages, photos
and position information over the
network to the RC2. The mobile
application has been deployed on an
Android device. All mobile devices
connect over Wifi to the GIS in the RC2
within its vicinity. A SAR responder can
insert geotagged images and messages
and access latest map updates,
geotagged messages, robot positons
and information from other SAR
responders.
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3.9.TRAINING AND SUPPORT
Mobile Data Center
The ICARUS HPC (High Performance Computing) solution is based on a Server Supermicro RTG-RZ-
1240I-NVK2 shown in the figure below. This server supports NVIDIA GRID and CUDA Technology and
provides a parallel programming solution for processing large data sets. This server makes it possible
that data from many sources (UxV) can be efficiently integrated and visualised over Ethernet. The
server was embedded into a ruggedized chassis. The chassis can by carried by two people. The
chassis protects the server from vibrations and mechanical stress. It is extended by a mobile display-
keyboard-mouse component for on-site server management purposes. It is a fully integrated and
autonomous solution. It requires 2kV AC power. The communication system is based on a WiFi
router that can establish a local network within a range of 25m. In the case of access to Ethernet, the
server is connected directly to the network. It can also be integrated with a regular Data Centre.
HPC solution for ICARUS project is based on Server Supermicro RTG-RZ-1240I-NVK2.
Unmanned Mobile Mapping System (UMMS)
The UMMS for the ICARUS project can be equipped with different 3D sensors. The first configuration
is composed of a 3D Z+F Imager 5010 laser measurement system. In this configuration, the system
has a scanning range of 170m with an accuracy of ca.1mm. The platform is also prepared to work
with other, custom-made, scanning systems of different range and accuracy.
Unmanned Mobile Mapping System
Page 29
Mission Planning Control Station
The MPCS (Mission Planning Control Station) is a crucial part of the Remote Command and Control
Station (RC2) that is dedicated to the initial planning of the search and rescue mission. The MPCS is
connected to the RC2’s of unmanned platforms and shares a common interface with the former.
Mission plans created in the MPCS can be passed directly to the operator console. The MPCS training
concentrates on familiarizing the user with the MPCS interface and functionalities. It consists of a
user manual describing in detail each of the elements of MPCS and a set of simple exercises to
familiarize the user with the tools. These exercises can also be used to verify the readiness of the
trainee.
ICARUS Support System
The ICARUS support system is dedicated to handling all data gathered during the course of a rescue
operation. The system consists of software for data preparation, matching processing and
visualization as well as interface tools that allow the user to modify and better explore the dataset.
During the evaluation phase, all this software was tested and adjusted to better suit the end user
needs. The main functionalities of support system that were evaluated are:
 Raw 3D scan matching and creating 3D models.
 3D point clouds processing and classification.
 Visualization of 3D data.
 Working with 3D data.
ICARUS Training Tools
These tools include UGV, UAV and USV simulators dedicated to operators’ training. ICARUS vehicles
are simulated in virtual environments that can be modelled based on real measurements based on
input from the Unmanned Mobile Mapping System.
UGV training tool.
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USV training tools.
UAV training tools
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3.10. VALIDATION OF THE ICARUS SYSTEM IN AN EARTHQUAKE RESPONSE SCENARIO
The ICARUS project considers two main demonstrations to validate the tools developed during the
whole duration of the project: a land demonstration, simulating an earthquake in an urban
environment and a marine demonstration, simulating a shipwreck in coastal waters. Here, we discuss
the first demonstration, where the Belgian First Aid and Support Team (ICARUS-partner B-FAST)
intervened in response to a simulated earthquake, helped by the ICARUS tools developed within the
project. This event took place at the military base of Marche-en-Famenne, Belgium and had as main
purposes to validate each of the individual ICARUS tools, but also – and more importantly – validate
the performance of these tools as an integrated system and their integration into the standard
operating procedures of the end-users which were supposed to use these novel technological tools.
The public demonstration was attended by around 100 stakeholders and presented over the course
of a full day 6 distinct operational scenarios:
1. C4I Integration
The purpose of this scenario is to demonstrate the
integration of ICARUS tools into the procedures of the SAR
workers. In practice, this means that the ICARUS command
and control tools need to be able to integrate in the On-Site
Operations and Commance Centre (OSOCC), pull in data from
registered sources and produce data in standardised
formats. For this purpose, an OSOCC was set up and the
different interoperability aspects were validated.
2. Mission Planning
During this phase of the operation, the mission planner at
the OSOCC assigns sectors and tasks to SAR teams. He does
this by fusing information from different data sources (GIS
maps, UAS data). Specific for this scenario is that the ICARUS
endurance aeroplane is used by the mission planner as a tool
for increasing his situational awareness, by mapping the
crisis area and transmitting real-time data to the command
station.
3. Deployment
During this phase, the USAR teams move towards and deploy
into a sector assigned by the mission planner via the C2I. The
main purpose of this scenario is to test the (rapid)
deployment capabilities and the integration of the
communication and C2I system. Another purpose of this
scenario is to test the network and C2I management
capabilities when confronted with dynamic team and
resource allocations.
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4. SAR Operations on a semi-demolished apartment building

During this phase, the USAR team, helped by the UGV and UAV systems, rescues victims trapped in a
semi-demolished apartment building. The main purpose of this scenario is to test the assessment,
search and rescue capabilities of the outdoor rotorcraft (support for situational awareness, mapping,
victim search, collaboration with canine victim search teams, rescue kit delivery) and the large UGV
(debris clearance, breaching an entry to blocked structures, executing shoring operations) and their
collaborative operation.
5. SAR Operations on a semi-demolished school building

During this scenario, The USAR team, helped by the UGV and UAV systems, rescues victims trapped
in a semi-demolished school building. The main purpose of this scenario is to test the assessment,
search and rescue capabilities of the small UGV and the indoor rotorcraft (semi-autonomous indoor
flight) related to indoor victim search and their collaborative operation mode.
6. SAR Operations on a semi-demolished CBRN warehouse

During this operation, the USAR team, helped by the UGV and UAV systems, rescues victims trapped
in a semi-demolished warehouse building. The main purpose of this scenario is to test the
assessment, search and rescue capabilities of the small and large UGV (deployment of the small UGV
by the LUGV, manoeuvring in small spaces, executing grasping operations with the help of the
exoskeleton) and the indoor and outdoor rotorcraft and their collaborative operation mode.
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3.11. VALIDATION OF THE ICARUS SYSTEM IN A MARINE INCIDENT RESPONSE SCENARIO
Demonstration of multiple robotic operations in realistic SAR scenario
The sea demonstration involved fixed wing and rotary aerial robots and also unmanned surface
vessels and robotized capsules. A realistic scenario was organized simulating an accident on a
ferryboat with victims in the water.
Ferryboat used in sea demonstration.
The aerial robotic platforms were used to survey the accident area spotting and localizing victims on
the water, as well as tracking their drift due to currents.
Aerial platforms performing area surveys.
Unmanned surface vehicles were used to perform close range surveys as well as deploy robotized
capsules close to the victims on the water.
Unmanned surface vehicles carrying capsules: ROAZ II (left), U-Ranger (right).
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Multiple robots in operation (left) and victims on life raft (right).
Demonstration of C2I and communication tools in realistic SAR scenario
The ICARUS C2I and communication tools were used during the demonstration to operate the robotic
platforms and to provide relevant data about the accident, as well as locations of victims to the
operators. In particular, the use of a common communication and interface framework to
simultaneously operate multiple and heterogeneous platforms was one of the greatest achievements
of the project.
Increased awareness of unmanned systems capabilities in SAR operations
The sea demonstration included the visit of several authorities, some of them coordinating maritime
search and rescue organizations. Official presentations of the ICARUS project were conducted,
attracting the Portuguese media (national radios and television channels), resulting in several
interviews and short reports about the project, contributing to an increased awareness of the
usefulness of robotic platforms in search and rescue operations.
Establishment of field trials procedures for requirement validation
The established procedures included several ways to validate requirements and also to assess the
capabilities of individual platforms and of their coordinated use.
All demonstration activities were based on a storyboard describing in the accident and identifying
the roles of the different tools. Such storyboard was used to define sets of individual and integrated
experiments during which it also possible to validate requirements and gather data for making
performance analysis of each system or set of systems.
System validation also included the assessment of the experiments by experts external to the project
research team.
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4. ICARUS IMPACT
4.1.IMPACT ON THE GENERAL SOCIETY AND WIDER SOCIETAL IMPLICATIONS
The main objective of ICARUS is to increase the safety and security of the citizens by introducing
novel unmanned tools in the operational toolkit of search and rescue workers. ICARUS is a research
project, so the main expected impacts will be more visible over the longer term, but due to a
diversified mix in the project of higher and lower TRL activities, the project has also achieved an
important impact on short term. These impacts are described more in detail in the following table:
Denomination ICARUS Impact Societal Implication

Short Wider general ICARUS has performed multiple The insertion of RPAS in civil
term societal demonstrations (e.g. the EU CP airspace stands or falls with the
Impacts acceptance of the Forum where the first legal flight in public acceptance of these tools.
on the use of RPAS the EU capital was performed) and The ICARUS actions are inspired
field conferences (not less than 7 RPAS by the will to drive this public
(within conferences were organized in the acceptance.
the scope of ICARUS) open to the
lifetime general public to showcase the good
of the use of these tools for disaster relief
project) and civil protection operations.
Wide acceptance ICARUS has worked together with End users are now convinced
in the SAR the end users, incorporating them in about the advantages of the
community on our requirements definition, unmanned tools (certainly the
the use of RPAS, developments, validation and RPAS, which they want to deploy
including bringing demonstration activities such that as soon as possible). This will
these novel they could experience the help to speed up rescue
unmanned tools advantages of the systems first operations (and make them more
to the field. hand. Moreover, during the Bosnia safe for the SAR workers) and
mission (see below), the RPAS tools save lives.
were brought into a real crisis area.
Wider acceptance ICARUS has performed multiple Policy makers seem now
among policy demonstrations (e.g. the EU CP convinced about the advantages
makers on the Forum where the first legal flight in of the unmanned tools (certainly
use of RPAS for the EU capital was performed) and the RPAS), which will drive to
crisis conferences (not less than 7 RPAS define the policies and
management conferences were organized in the procedures for introducing these
scope of ICARUS) to convince policy tools into the crisis management
makers about the advantages of framework.
unmanned SAR tools.
Direct assistance During the Spring floods in 2014 in By helping with the operations of
of search and the Balkans, an ICARUS RPAS the international relief teams,
rescue teams to assisted the international relief ICARUS also helped the local
Page 36
help the local teams for tasks such as dyke breach population in Bosnia. ICARUS was
population during detection, optimization of the officially praised and thanked for
flood relief position of the water pumps, area its operations by the Bosnian
operations prioritization, structural inspection Ministry of Security.
and situational awareness.
Direct assistance During the Spring floods in 2014 in By helping with the operations of
of demining the Balkans, an ICARUS RPAS the demining teams, ICARUS also
teams to help in assisted the local demining teams for helped the local community in
the assessment of re-locating the many landmines Bosnia.
suspected which had shifted position.
hazardous areas
Mid-term Wide acceptance ICARUS has worked together with End users are now getting
Expected in the SAR the end users, incorporating them in convinced about the advantages
Impacts community on our requirements definition, of the unmanned tools, even
on the the use of developments, validation and though there are still some
field unmanned demonstration activities such that robustness and deployment
(within 4 ground and they could experience the issues to be tackled for ground
years marine vehicles, advantages of the systems first and marine vehicles. Finally, this
after the including bringing hand. This should lead to the will help to speed up rescue
end of these novel effective use of unmanned ground operations (and make them more
the unmanned tools and marine SAR vehicles in the near safe for the SAR workers) and
project) to the field. future. save lives.
Wide acceptance ICARUS has performed multiple Policy makers seem now
among policy demonstrations to convince policy convinced about the advantages
makers on the makers about the advantages of of the unmanned tools, which
use of unmanned unmanned SAR tools. will drive to define the policies
ground and and procedures for introducing
marine vehicles these tools into the crisis
for crisis management framework.
management
Improved ICARUS has developed a set of The use of these tools on the
interoperability interoperable tools which seamlessly field will help to speed up SAR
and SAR work together with a unique operations and save lives.
equipment command and control system.
Improved ICARUS developed a unique The use of these tools on the
command & command and control system which field will help to speed up SAR
control and is capable of controlling a range of operations and save lives.
support system interoperable assets. Support tools
for planning and are provided enabling the mana-
management gement of complex SAR operations.
Improved training ICARUS has developed training tools Training is paramount, as SAR
curricula for SAR which allow end users to learn how workers will not use tools they
workers, to operate the different ICARUS are not trained for. The impact of
Page 37
including tools in a safe virtual environment.the training tools is therefore the

unmanned tools. wider use of the unmanned tools
Long- Collaborative and ICARUS has developed collaborative The use of these tools on the
term cooperative robotic agents. However, we must field will help to speed up SAR
Expected operation of be realistic that the simultaneous operations and save lives.
Impacts multiple use of multiple collaborative
on the unmanned tools unmanned systems in the same crisis
field in a crisis area theatre will still require that SAR
(4 years workers first get used to using
after the singular systems.
project
end)
4.2.ECONOMIC IMPACT
Globally serious urban problems of mass destruction, whether caused by nature or by man, such as
earthquakes, floods, wars and even terrorist attacks occur. These events bring unfortunately high
number of victims, and under these grave circumstances the collaboration of SAR teams is required.
Members of these rescue agencies perform a difficult task, exposing their own lives at great risk to
rescue the victims.
On account of ICARUS technological advances in the area of robotics comes an application of great
global interest for its humanitarian nature. Robots can make disasters go away faster because they
can replace manual actions with automated and remotes tasks. This means that intervention speeds
up which increases the possibility of life-saving victims. Once tasks of search and rescue are
complete, then recovery groups can enter the affected area and restore utilities, repair roads, etc.
The reduction of the initial response phase by just 1 day reduces the overall time through the
reconstruction and recovery phase by up to 1,000 days. Note that there were economic losses of 110
billion dollars, thus using robotic machinery, given its high cost, the economy would recover more
quickly.
Page 38
4.3.MAIN DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES
Dissemination activities were divided in three parallel main phases, each of these phases being
dependent upon the maturity of the project at a specific point in time.
 The objective of the first phase (RP1 to RP4) of communication activities was to convey the
message that a new Robotic SAR project, ICARUS, had started. This phase was carried out by
attending conferences and events as well as through direct contact with stakeholders. In
addition, this phase has been running alongside the other two phases in order to maximise
the engagement of potential targets that might have been be interested in the project. As an
example, the Project partners delivered 25 presentations and lectures during RP1 which is
the highest number as compared to RP2 (11), RP3 (11) and RP4 (16).
 The second phase (RP2 to RP4) was carried out to present the results and achievements of
research and development activities undertaken in the frame of the ICARUS project,
therefore targeting technical experts in priority.
 Finally, when ICARUS outcomes were mature enough (RP3 to RP4), communication efforts
focused on the end users, the decision-makers and budget holders to ensure the
sustainability of the project outputs in the long-term. During this last phase, the project put
the emphasis on the exploitation of the ICARUS results as well as on the interoperability and
the integration of the different ICARUS unmanned platforms. In addition, two large-scale
field demonstrations were organised by the Project partners during the last year of the
Project.
Dissemination activities performed during the Project timeline included:
 Development of a project website. The website (http://www.fp7-icarus.eu/) was made

available in May 2012 and constantly updated so as to include new website sections and
information on the latest Project development (see the new project results section). It was
used as an important dissemination channel to inform the various communication audiences
about the Project status and the results of the research. The website will be maintained a
minimum of one year after the end of the Project.
From April 2012 to December 2015, the statistics are (source: Google Analytics):
o Sessions: 26.292 sessions (548 per month)
o Unique visitors: 17.557 (365 per month)
o New visitors: 67%
o Average number of new visitors per month: 365
o Average visit duration: 0:02:49
Page 39
 Project documentation. Dissemination material produced and regularly updated by the

project include:
o 2 Project leaflets regularly updated (general public + technical level)
o presentation poster (updated during the Project)
o roll-up (updated during the Project)
o power point template (for partners only)
o pop-up stand (or exhibition booth) used for major events
o Newsletters
 Facebook and twitter pages (RP3) were part of the ICARUS “push campaign” to improve
Project visibility during the last year. This page contained all the latest news published in the
project website plus “shared” news from relevant institutions. As an example, the
announcement of successful ICARUS participant to euRathlon reached 1.000 people on
Facebook.
 Image Bank was an online repository where images related to the Project and to Search and
Rescue were stored for quick access by the partners and authorised stakeholders interested
in the Project. The Image Bank included 28 albums containing 1,276 pictures in total.
 Dissemination database. A contact database (369 entries) of relevant communication

targets has been developed (M9) and regularly updated.
 Participation in events. In total, the Project partners participated in 149 dissemination

events since the beginning of the project such as conferences, workshops, field
demonstrations, etc. This number includes 63 lectures and presentations.
These events were a useful platform to reach the audience and provided for networking
opportunities. During the last communication phase (RP3 to RP4), particular attention was
paid to the events allowing field-trials in order to demonstrate the added value of the
ICARUS toolbox. For instance, the Project partners were invited to multiple conferences,
workshops and field demonstrations including:
 The European Civil Protection Forum 2015 (Brussels, May 2015) organized by the
EC’s DG ECHO;
 The Eurathlon 2015 robotics challenge (Piombino, September 2015) where several
ICARUS partners won multiple prizes and awards;
 The United Nation’s International Research and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG)
Global Meeting (Abu Dhabi, October 2015);
 The RPAS workshop for civil protection experts (Brussels, January 2016).
Page 40
 Publications. The Project produced a total of 102 publications including 12 (12%)

publications during the first year, 19 (18%) publications during the second year, 17 (17%)
publications during the fourth year and 54 (53%) publications in the last year.
 Publication of news release on the website. In total, the Project published 86 news items
since April 2012.
 Production of videos. In total, the project produced 10 high-quality videos available in a

dedicated media section on the website. The updated version of the ICARUS project
presentation video (3:26) has reached 4.388 views on Youtube. In aggregate, the ICARUS
videos have reached 13.555 views. In addition, the EU Commission (ECHO) has posted the
video of on the official EU Civil Protection website.
 ICARUS Maritime Demo. On the 9th and 10th of July 2015, ICARUS Project partners simulated
a maritime crisis management scenario at the Navy Base of Alfeite (Almada) in Portugal. A
video of the event is available here.
 ICARUS Final Land Demo. On the 4th of September 2015, the final field trials of the Land
robotic and C2 tools developed within the FP7 ICARUS Project took place on the training
grounds of the Belgian First Aid and Support Team (ICARUS partner B-FAST) in Marche-en-
Famenne, Belgium. In total, the event attracted approximately 100 participants from 9
Countries (Europe + USA). A video of the event is available here.
 First Legal Drone Flight performed in Brussels. On 7 May 2015, and within the framework of
the EU Civil Protection Forum, several ICARUS Partners performed a dedicated Remotely
Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) outdoor demonstration which was the first-ever legal RPAS
flight in Brussels, raising particular interest from the Belgian media. A 2-pages article was
published in “Le Soir”, a leading national French speaking newspaper (see here).
 Media coverage – blogs & newspapers. Communication activities undertaken during the
Project can be assessed on the basis of its impact in the media. In total, 32 articles about
ICARUS have been published in newspapers (online and offline) including major
(inter)national newspapers.
 Media coverage – television. The ORF (Österreichischer Rundfunk) Austrian Television aired
a 45 minutes documentary on Robotic Search and Rescue that features many of the
developments of the ICARUS Project, including interviews of several ICARUS partners. ORF
came to Berchtesgaden, Germany to film the EURATHLON event in which several ICARUS
partners participated. In addition, the Radio Télévision Belge Francophone – RTBF - produced
a documentary on ICARUS that was aired multiple times in a scientific national television
show.
Page 41
4.4.EXPLOITATION OF RESULTS
The ICARUS project is the result of merging the capacities and abilities of entities at different stages
of the SAR value chain. The ambitious objective and scope of the project has made necessary the
participation of a large number of beneficiaries in order to reach the expected results in different
fields. Each beneficiary has already contributed to a wide range of developments based on their
extensive expertise as part of their core business activity.
On account of ICARUS, 50 results have been identified with the aim of improving existing SAR
technologies, in particular, features that enhance UAVs, UGVs, USVs and the provision of a novel
Command & Control platform.
Many of these results are in a pre-commercial stage and are expected to be launch onto the market
by 2016. Thus a collection of innovative tools have been conceived for Urban and Maritime SAR
operations such as:
 Unmanned Maritime Capsule

 Heavy Unmanned Ground Vehicle
 Training and Support system
 Rapid deployment unmanned aerial vehicle team for assisting international relief teams
 Rapid mapping tools, combining data from aerial and ground based assets
 X-LINK middleware software for tactical communications
 GEOBEAM tool for tactical communications planning and management
 Multi- Domain Robot Command and Control Station (MDRC2)
 Lightweight and Integrated platform for Flight Technologies (LIFT)
 Icarus GIS Virtual Machine
 Integrated Module
Further information is available on the website at http://www.fp7-icarus.eu/exploitation
Visitors can also contact developers through the project website in order to facilitate their
commercialization.
Page 42
5. WEBSITE
The ICARUS website can be found on the following address: http://www.fp7-icarus.eu/
The website (see screenshot below) consists of 8 main sections:
 The homepage shows the latest news and a quick overview of the project objectives
 The Project Overview gives a more detailed description of the project and its partners
 The Search and Rescue section introduces the problems related to this subject to the readers
 A list of publications can be found on the Publications section
 A News section lists all ICARUS-related news
 A Links section brings readers in contact with partner organisations, projects and institutes
 The Contact section gives the contact details of the project responsibles for different
requests
 A Project Results section showcases the exploitable products coming forth out of ICARUS
Page 43

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Public Report - ICARUS

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PROJECT PUBLIC REPORT

Grant Agreement number 285417

1. ..... Executive Summary of the project ......................................................................................... 5

2. ..... Summary description of ICARUS project context and objectives ............................................. 6

3. ..... ICARUS main Scientific and technological results foregrounds ............................................. 11

3.1. User-centered design requirements ..................................................................................... 11

Acronyms & Definitions

NIST National Institute of Standards and Technology

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT

2. SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF ICARUS PROJECT CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVES

Objective 1: Development of a light sensor capable of detecting human beings

autonomous navigation in challenging environments as well as for the support of emergency

Objective 6: Development of a self-organising cognitive wireless communication network, ensuring

3. ICARUS MAIN SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL RESULTS FOREGROUNDS

From semiconductor chip to final hermetically sealed detector

3.3.UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEMS

Three different robots are developed and

The AROT UAS is equipped with both visual

3.4.UNMANNED GROUND VEHICLES

The LUGV was used in the project as tele-

LUGV deploying SUGV on a roof LUGV removing debris

With a camera mounted on the arm’s

3.5.UNMANNED MARITIME PLATFORMS

Development of a robotized survival capsule

Development of capsule deployment system

USV Sensing and Perception

The following results were obtained:

USV Behavior sets

Development and implementation of reactive collision avoidance modes on USVs in accordance to

3.6.HETEROGENEOUS TEAMS AND NETWORK CENTRIC OPERATIONS

Robot’s adaptation strategy

Examples of collaborative mapping and victim search missions:

ICARUS Tactical Communications Network

ICARUS COM working in the Land Demonstration

Communications interoperability and performance optimisation

unknown spectrum occupancy conditions, harsh propagation environments, large throughput

available on crisis location) or PPDR-specific (e.g. operating in the 700MHz) to be used as a

Communication management tools for mission operators

ICARUS COM Console used in mission planning and in mission operations

3.8.COMMAND AND CONTROL

Using a mobile device, first responders

3.9.TRAINING AND SUPPORT

Mobile Data Center

HPC solution for ICARUS project is based on Server Supermicro RTG-RZ-1240I-NVK2.

Unmanned Mobile Mapping System (UMMS)

Unmanned Mobile Mapping System

Mission Planning Control Station

ICARUS Support System

ICARUS Training Tools

UGV training tool.

USV training tools.

UAV training tools

3.10. VALIDATION OF THE ICARUS SYSTEM IN AN EARTHQUAKE RESPONSE SCENARIO

4. SAR Operations on a semi-demolished apartment building

5. SAR Operations on a semi-demolished school building

6. SAR Operations on a semi-demolished CBRN warehouse

3.11. VALIDATION OF THE ICARUS SYSTEM IN A MARINE INCIDENT RESPONSE SCENARIO

Demonstration of multiple robotic operations in realistic SAR scenario

Ferryboat used in sea demonstration.

Aerial platforms performing area surveys.

Unmanned surface vehicles carrying capsules: ROAZ II (left), U-Ranger (right).

Multiple robots in operation (left) and victims on life raft (right).

Demonstration of C2I and communication tools in realistic SAR scenario

Increased awareness of unmanned systems capabilities in SAR operations