Applications of tactical mobile robot technology to urban search and rescue: lessons learned at the World Trade Center disaster

In the wake of the World Trade Center tragedy on Sept. 11th 2001, robots developed for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Tactical Mobile Robot program were used under the direction of CRASAR, the Center for Robot-Assisted Search and Rescue, to provide technical support to the relief effort. The TMR's (Tactical Mobile Robots) were used to search the disaster scene for casualties, locate victims, and assess building integrity. During the effort the Tactical Mobile Robots were presented with unprecedented obstacles and challenges. This paper serves to outline lessons learned at the WTC (World Trade Center) disaster and provide information for the development of more capable search and rescue robots.