Development of disaster-responding special-purpose machinery: Results of experiments

The frequent occurrence of disasters has prompted the development of efficient disaster-responding equipment. This study deals with the design of special-purpose machinery and its performance assessment. We defined scenarios through the environmental analysis of disaster situations and expert consulting. We also formulated a set of design specifications by analyzing the objectives of the tasks that must be performed at disaster sites, based on simulated scenarios and existing disaster response machinery. The disaster-responding special-purpose machinery was designed to perform various tasks and display rapid movement in disaster situations. Moreover, this paper presents the control structure configured to operate the developed machinery. The performance of the special-purpose machinery was assessed through different scenario tests.