A group of Clemson University engineering students watched the nonstop news last September as Helene tore a path of death and destruction through the Carolinas and Tennessee.
The raging floodwaters that isolated the storm’s victims prompted them to question: What if a team of medics could have driven into mountain towns and far-flung homesteads with a Humvee loaded with supplies? And what if they could have sent the vehicle back on its own to transport injured and rescued passengers?
That was the inspiration behind the latest research project conducted by students in the Upstate university’s Deep Orange program.
A team of 17 students equipped a self-driving vehicle that could be deployed by search and rescue teams.
A self-driving rescue vehicle was the 16th project of Clemson University’s Deep Orange program. (Photo provided by Clemson University.)“This is really important, because in a rescue situation, you obviously want to get to people as quickly as possible. And if you have any injured people, you want to get them out of harm’s way as quickly as possible,” said automotive engineering professor Rob Prucka. “So that’s the kind of work that we’re trying to do.”
Prucka is the director of the Deep Orange program, which has an ongoing, autonomous vehicle research partnership with the U.S. Army.
The project, completed this past spring, marks the 16th iteration of Deep Orange, in which industry leaders give each cohort of students a problem to solve during the course of their studies.
That’s why the vehicle was dubbed Deep Orange 16.
“Deep Orange pushes us to think like real-world engineers,” said team leader Rohit Godse, who graduated in August with a master’s degree in automotive engineering. “We are not just learning theory, but solving complex, high-stakes problems that prepare us to lead in the industry from day one.”
“We’re trying to produce engineers that will be valuable to the auto industry the day they leave Clemson,” Prucka added.
The program also seeks to test technological advancements that automakers or the military may one day use — in this case, a rescue vehicle controlled by software that could be used in combat or stateside during a natural disaster.
One thing Prucka said the team heard over and over from first responders they interviewed is many never know the situation they’re walking into until they get there. They have maybe half the information they need. And it may or may not be correct. So, they need a vehicle that’s ready for anything.
“And maybe the car itself could be an extra helping hand,” Prucka said.
One of the new capabilities the team added to the off-road vehicle included camera systems for looking ahead and sensors for scanning the ground. The vehicle could then use its computing systems to analyze those images and readings on the fly and automatically adjust its suspension accordingly to create a smoother ride.
Those same camera and sensor systems also map the route in, so the vehicle can travel back out without someone controlling it from the driver’s seat.
And in off-road situations, visibility becomes an added challenge.
“If you crest a hill, you can’t usually see over the hill,” Prucka said. “If you’re in a really rocky train, you can’t always tell what exactly a tire is going to run over.”
A 360-degree view from the cameras reduces the number of blind spots operators might have.
A look inside Deep Orange 16, a self-driving rescue vehicle designed by Clemson engineering students to rescue victims of a natural disaster or military personnel in combat. (Photo provided by Clemson University)Finally, while less high tech, students designed a stretcher-loading mechanism for the back of the vehicle to lift injured passengers.
“On the surface it looks simple in a way,” Prucka said. “But it’s intentional because the soldiers all said this thing needs to work every time. It can’t be complicated. But it does help some challenges that they have actually loading patients into the vehicle, especially, when they’re under distress.”
“Our students are not only driving innovation — they’re helping to save lives by improving how we respond to emergencies in the most challenging environments,” Prucka added.
Deep Orange 16 will remain at Clemson as a prototype.
Future classes will continue to test and improve the technology that could eventually be used in rescue operations.
SC Daily Gazette is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. SC Daily Gazette maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Seanna Adcox for questions: info@scdailygazette.com.
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