AESV Integration of IMU and Implementation of Interleaved Data Acquisition and Transmission Method

Fire rescue and containment operations pose a wide spectrum of challenges for firefighting personnel. Extreme temperatures, hazardous gases, reduced visibility, and unknown building layouts make for time expensive operations in a time sensitive environment where the potential for flashover can be fatal. For this research, it is discussed the progress made for an Autonomous Embedded System Vehicle (AESV) prototype that can assist firefighters in planning smarter and safer rescue operations. This paper discusses the integration of the Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) and implementation of an interleaved data acquisition and transmission protocol. The interleaved implementation results in a sensor refresh rate of 945 micro-seconds. This latency is expected to increase as additional sensors continue to be integrated into the design. An alternative data acquisition and transmission protocol may be necessary in future work. The integration of the IMU and transmission protocol expands the capabilities of the AESV, which provides firefighters with the information needed to plan smarter and safer rescue operations.