disaster robotics as an example of field-driven lab culture...disaster robotics as an example of...

Disaster Robotics as an Example of Field-Driven Lab

Culture Robin R. Murphy

Center for Robot-Assisted Search and Rescue Texas A&M University

About Me

•  Center for Robot-Assisted Search and Rescue

•  17 disasters •  Roboticists

Without Borders

PHYSICS HURT ROBOTICS LAB CULTURE

Natural World(Corpus of cases)

Newton and the apple

james-a-watkins.hubpages.com

Natural World(Corpus of cases)

Galileo

Staged World Observation(Field experiments)

lannyland.blogspot.com

Natural World(Corpus of cases)

CERN

Staged World Observation(Field experiments)

Controlled Laboratory setting (Laboratory experiments)

www.theguardian.com

Natural World(Corpus of cases)

CERN

Staged World Observation(Field experiments)

Controlled Laboratory setting (Laboratory experiments)

www.theguardian.com

After Woods and Hollnagel Joint Cognitive Systems: Patterns in Cognitive Systems, 2006

Natural World(Corpus of cases)

Staged World Observation(Field experiments)

Controlled Laboratory setting (Laboratory experiments)

Varieties of observation

Physics Envy

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2

3

Natural World(Corpus of cases)

Staged World Observation(Field experiments)

Controlled Laboratory setting (Laboratory experiments)

Varieties of observation

But Robots Don’t Exist in the Natural World

Robots have been at less than 40 disasters

Natural World(Corpus of cases)

Staged World Observation(Field experiments)

Controlled Laboratory setting (Laboratory experiments)

Varieties of observation

Robots Have to Be Built

Robots don’t start out ready to work

Natural World(Corpus of cases)

Staged World Observation(Field experiments)

Controlled Laboratory setting (Laboratory experiments)

Varieties of observation

Technology First, User Second

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3

Field Driven Lab Culture

CASE STUDY: SURVIVOR BUDDY

9/13/01: WHAT IF WE FOUND A SURVIVOR?

With Professional Help…

Florida Task Force 3 Hillsborough County Fire Rescue (Tampa)

Cindy Bethel’s PhD Work 2008

Further Professional Help…

Dr. Cliff Nass, Stanford Doug Dooley, PIXAR Amy Guerin, TAMU Performing Arts

CASE STUDY: KATRINA AND FUKUSHIMA

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Fixed-wings: higher, longer

Rotorcraft: lower, closer

ASSUMPTION: 1 PERSON TO FLY

2 People You Saw

•  The Pilot •  The Mission Specialist (camera

operator)

2 People You Saw

•  The Pilot •  The Mission Specialist (camera

operator) •  The Safety Officer

3

2 People You Saw

•  The Pilot •  The Mission Specialist (camera

operator) •  The Safety Officer •  Other users

4

Unpowered respirator

1 pair of cotton gloves + 2 pairs of latex gloves

Shout through respirator (no microphones)

Restricted vision due to

mask

External dosimeter under

top layer in pocket

Natural World(Corpus of cases)

Staged World Observation(Field experiments)

Controlled Laboratory setting (Laboratory experiments)

Varieties of observation

Field-Driven Lab Culture

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2

1

Conclusions

•  There is nothing unique or special about robotics that obviates the need for good design

•  Current lab culture reinforces a technology-first lab culture that undermines design (and lean start-up) principles

•  We roboticists need you!