Robot-assisted smart firefighting and interdisciplinary perspectives

Urbanization and changes in modern infrastructure have introduced new challenges to current firefighting practices. The current manual operations and training including fire investigation, hazardous chemicals detection, fire and rescue are insufficient to protect the firefighter's safety and life. The firefighting and rescue functions of the existing equipment and apparatus and their dexterity are limited, particularly in the harsh firefighting environments. It is well-established that data and informatics are key factors for efficient and smart firefighting operation. This paper provides a review on the robot-assisted firefighting systems with interdisciplinary perspectives to identify the needs, requirements, challenges as well as future trends to facilitate smart and efficient operations. The needs and challenges of robot-assisted firefighting systems are firstly investigated and identified. Subsequently, prevailing firefighting robotic platforms in literature as well as in practices are elaborately scrutinized and discussed, followed by investigation of localization and navigation support methods. Finally, conclusions and future trends outlook are provided

Realizing the Smartness in Robot-Assisted Risky Intervention, Search, Rescue and Environmental Surveillance: a Feasibility Study on Firefighting

Urbanisation and Changes in modern infrastructure have introduced new challenges to firefighting practices. The current manual operations and training including fire investigation, hazardous chemicals detection, fire and rescue are insufficient to protect the firefighter’s safety and life. The firefighting and rescue functions of the existing equipment and apparatus and their dexterity are limited, particularly in the harsh firefighting environments. We aim to innovate a smart robot-assisted firefighting platform in smart firefighting to perform searching and rescuing practice in the fire ground, and to facilitate the efficient decision makings. Concerning harsh environments for the complex fire ground (including chemical plants and other venues), we investigate, study, and innovate information acquisition (sensing and visioning technology), transmission (ultra-remote signal transmission) and processing (multi-sensor fusion technology), instrumentation (actuating technology, robotics thermal protection technology), control (multi-degree of freedom mobile and operating robot control methods, obstacle avoidance and sweeping, Decision Support Systems (DSS)) and communication (Human-Robot (H2R) interaction systems, Machine-to-Machine (M2M))

Transdisciplinary AI Education: The Confluence of Curricular and Community Needs in the Instruction of Artificial Intelligence

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into education has the potential to transform the way we learn and teach. In this paper, we examine the current state of AI in education and explore the potential benefits and challenges of incorporating this technology into the classroom. The approaches currently available for AI education often present students with experiences only focusing on discrete computer science concepts agnostic to a larger curriculum. However, teaching AI must not be siloed or interdisciplinary. Rather, AI instruction ought to be transdisciplinary, including connections to the broad curriculum and community in which students are learning. This paper delves into the AI program currently in development for Neom Community School and the larger Education, Research, and Innovation Sector in Neom, Saudi Arabia s new megacity under development. In this program, AI is both taught as a subject and to learn other subjects within the curriculum through the school systems International Baccalaureate (IB) approach, which deploys learning through Units of Inquiry. This approach to education connects subjects across a curriculum under one major guiding question at a time. The proposed method offers a meaningful approach to introducing AI to students throughout these Units of Inquiry, as it shifts AI from a subject that students like or not like to a subject that is taught throughout the curriculum.Comment: 15 pages, 2 tables, Artificial Intelligence in Education Technologies: New Development and Innovative Practices. AIET 202

Cyborgs as Frontline Service Employees: A Research Agenda

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.Purpose This paper identifies and explores potential applications of cyborgian technologies within service contexts and how service providers may leverage the integration of cyborgian service actors into their service proposition. In doing so, the paper proposes a new category of ‘melded’ frontline service employees (FLEs), where advanced technologies become embodied within human actors. The paper presents potential opportunities and challenges that may arise through cyborg technological advancements and proposes a future research agenda related to these. Design/methodology This study draws on literature in the fields of services management, Artificial Intelligence [AI], robotics, Intelligence Augmentation [IA] and Human Intelligence [HIs] to conceptualise potential cyborgian applications. Findings The paper examines how cyborg bio- and psychophysical characteristics may significantly differentiate the nature of service interactions from traditional ‘unenhanced’ service interactions. In doing so, we propose ‘melding’ as a conceptual category of technological impact on FLEs. This category reflects the embodiment of emergent technologies not previously captured within existing literature on cyborgs. We examine how traditional roles of FLEs will be potentially impacted by the integration of emergent cyborg technologies, such as neural interfaces and implants, into service contexts before outlining future research directions related to these, specifically highlighting the range of ethical considerations. Originality/Value Service interactions with cyborg FLEs represent a new context for examining the potential impact of cyborgs. This paper explores how technological advancements will alter the individual capacities of humans to enable such employees to intuitively and empathetically create solutions to complex service challenges. In doing so, we augment the extant literature on cyborgs, such as the body hacking movement. The paper also outlines a research agenda to address the potential consequences of cyborgian integration

Situation Representation and Awareness for Rescue Operations

International audienceDuring rescue operations, being aware of the situation is very critical for rescuers and decision-makers to reduce the impacts. This work aims to support situation awareness amongst actors participating in rescue operations by adopting an ontology-based approach. An application ontology is proposed based on existing related ontologies and operational expertise collection. It will help to ensure common situation representation and understanding between different actors. After that, a knowledge-based system will be developed and integrated in actors' environment to support decision-making. Our preliminary results are shown in this paper