Advanced Tech for Crisis Response Unveiled by AHEAD Project

Advanced Tech for Crisis Response Unveiled by AHEAD Project
by Robert Schreiber
Berlin, Germany (SPX) Jun 27, 2024

In a live demonstration on 25 June 2024, the AHEAD (Autonomous Humanitarian Emergency Aid Devices) project showcased advanced technologies designed for humanitarian aid and disaster management. The German Aerospace Center (DLR) collaborates with partners to develop remote-controlled transportation technologies to support disaster relief, aiming for driverless vehicles to reach areas inaccessible by boats or road vehicles or too dangerous for emergency personnel.

Users and Decision-Makers Involved
Working closely with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the Bavarian Red Cross (BRK), the AHEAD team simulated two realistic scenarios during the demonstration: a food delivery based on current operations in South Sudan and a relief and rescue operation in a flood situation similar to the Ahr Valley floods in 2021 and recent events in southern Germany. Over 20 BRK emergency workers participated in the flood scenario.

The Bundeswehr training area in Nordheim am Main, Bavaria, provided ideal conditions for the project team, including extensive, rugged, and densely overgrown areas, along with a lake with steep banks. This was the first instance where the all-terrain, semi-autonomous SHERP vehicle demonstrated its amphibious capabilities. SHERPs, already used by the WFP for aid deliveries but still with drivers, are planned to be remotely controlled using telerobotics to avoid dangers like disease-carrying insects, epidemics, or landmines.

"Validating our technologies through the AHEAD demo is a very complex operation, as various teams and technical components have to work together. We are very pleased and proud to have successfully teleoperated the SHERP vehicle after four years of research, through rough terrain and for the first time in water. The strong team spirit was an especially rewarding experience for me - everyone is working together to put the knowledge gained into practice and drive the research forward," summarized Armin Wedler, overall project manager from the DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics.

Three-Day Workshop with Key Participants
The demonstration was part of a three-day workshop. Alongside researchers, end users, and decision-makers, Tobias Gotthardt, State Secretary in the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy, participated as a special guest, witnessing the potential applications of AHEAD technologies: "The achievements of the project partners here, under the overall management of DLR, are particularly impressive. It shows once again how diverse the potential applications of AI, autonomous driving, and space technologies are. I am extremely pleased that we are able to make a contribution to disaster prevention and humanitarian aid through the Bavarian funding of two partner projects. It is indeed the pinnacle of dual use when space technology helps to make our world a better place."

Globally Deployable and Responsive
To enable the SHERP vehicle to perform its tasks, multiple operating units collaborate. A global mission control center (GMOC) plans and monitors the remote truck mission, implemented by the Center for Satellite Based Crisis Information (ZKI) at the DLR Earth Observation Center. The control hub collects and evaluates remote sensing data such as high-resolution satellite images, aerial photographs, and drone imagery to determine the environment and optimal route. On-site units receive the results in situation reports and an interactive web application. For the demonstration, the GMOC team set up a control center on the test site without direct view of the simulation.

Sensory Remote Control
The local mission control center (LMOC) connected to the GMOC, teleoperates the truck. The SHERP follows a pre-planned route, with the remote driver at the LMOC considering live data. The vehicle continuously transmits its position and 360-degree data from onboard sensors and stereo cameras, enabling the driver to safely navigate hazards.

Remote control of the vehicle involves a sensory input station for the driver, providing functions like lights, horn, gear shift, and pedals, with 'force feedback' allowing intuitive control. This sensory driving aid originates from space research telerobotics, adapted in AHEAD for humanitarian aid.

Ensuring Connectivity and Security
Ongoing data exchange connects the control centers and vehicle through mobile networks, satellite communication, and broadband internet. The LMOC maintains direct radio contact with the vehicle. The DLR Institute of Communications and Navigation calculated communication coverage for route planning, ensuring robust and secure connectivity.

Collaboration with Users and Industry
The successful live demonstration marks a significant step towards making AHEAD technologies operational. DLR spin-offs Sensodrive and Roboception, among the project's industrial partners, have shown successful technology transfer from research to market solutions in telerobotics and perception. Collaboration with future users like the Bavarian Red Cross and WFP is vital for targeted development.

"The successful live demonstration of the AHEAD project convincingly shows how we can use innovative technologies to make humanitarian missions in hard-to-reach areas even more efficient. The project is an outstanding example of innovation and an important milestone on our path to a world without hunger," explained Bernhard Kowatsch, Head of the WFP Innovation Accelerator.

The AHEAD team demonstrated that ad hoc operations for natural disasters and crises are feasible alongside pre-planned humanitarian aid missions. The team will analyze data from the demonstration to enhance capabilities and efficiency.