Welcome to Team ARM IT! We are a multidisciplinary 13-member undergraduate research team looking to improve search and rescue (SAR) missions by exploring the link between unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and virtual reality (VR) as part of the Gemstone Honors program based at the University of Maryland.
Our Goals
Currently, UAVs are used in SAR missions as they reduce the risk to rescuers, since they do not have to be physically at the scene. This protects both rescuers and victims from accidents caused by collapsing buildings or disturbing rubble. UAVs also benefit from a bird's-eye view of the landscape, are easier to navigate in complex terrain, and may be able to carry much-needed supplies to a trapped or wounded victim. By focusing on improving UAV operation in SAR contexts, we may be able to greatly improve the abilities of SAR teams without placing more individuals in danger as a result.
Many UAVs used in SAR contexts today carry a single, stationary camera, which may be used to view the scene. Team ARM IT is working to create a system that will allow humans to be able to see from the perspective of the UAV through the use of a VR headset, such as the Oculus Rift. The user’s head movements control the cameras placed on the UAV in order to achieve stereoscopic vision and thus place the user within the environment of the UAV. Through our research, we plan to show that incorporating virtual reality into search and rescue missions will provide greater efficiency and success towards the goal of the mission. Through the use of the VR headset, the user would have more intuitive control, as the system would translate and map a person’s natural movement to the movement of the cameras. Our system would also allow the user to receive more information about the environment through augmented reality overlays displayed from the headset and greater depth perception through stereoscopic vision. Our research aims to give the pilot greater control over what they can see from the UAV as well as a more realistic sense of the UAV’s environment.
Currently, Team ARM IT is working towards developing a system with the above functionality with the hope that it will be used to benefit SAR operations and possibly, in the future, save lives.
Our Goals
Currently, UAVs are used in SAR missions as they reduce the risk to rescuers, since they do not have to be physically at the scene. This protects both rescuers and victims from accidents caused by collapsing buildings or disturbing rubble. UAVs also benefit from a bird's-eye view of the landscape, are easier to navigate in complex terrain, and may be able to carry much-needed supplies to a trapped or wounded victim. By focusing on improving UAV operation in SAR contexts, we may be able to greatly improve the abilities of SAR teams without placing more individuals in danger as a result.
Many UAVs used in SAR contexts today carry a single, stationary camera, which may be used to view the scene. Team ARM IT is working to create a system that will allow humans to be able to see from the perspective of the UAV through the use of a VR headset, such as the Oculus Rift. The user’s head movements control the cameras placed on the UAV in order to achieve stereoscopic vision and thus place the user within the environment of the UAV. Through our research, we plan to show that incorporating virtual reality into search and rescue missions will provide greater efficiency and success towards the goal of the mission. Through the use of the VR headset, the user would have more intuitive control, as the system would translate and map a person’s natural movement to the movement of the cameras. Our system would also allow the user to receive more information about the environment through augmented reality overlays displayed from the headset and greater depth perception through stereoscopic vision. Our research aims to give the pilot greater control over what they can see from the UAV as well as a more realistic sense of the UAV’s environment.
Currently, Team ARM IT is working towards developing a system with the above functionality with the hope that it will be used to benefit SAR operations and possibly, in the future, save lives.
Upcoming Events
UMD Undergraduate Research Day
April 26, 2017 from 1:00 to 4:00 pm
Grand Ballroom, Adele H. Stamp Student Union
A poster symposium in which team ARM IT will present current progress on the project. Expect to see several team members there, ready to discuss the project.
April 26, 2017 from 1:00 to 4:00 pm
Grand Ballroom, Adele H. Stamp Student Union
A poster symposium in which team ARM IT will present current progress on the project. Expect to see several team members there, ready to discuss the project.
Past Events
Gemstone Junior Colloquia, Fall 2016
Team ARM IT wins the 1st place award in the cyber technologies category from FedCentric LLC at the 2016 Gemstone Junior Colloquia! Congratulations!
Team ARM IT wins the 1st place award in the cyber technologies category from FedCentric LLC at the 2016 Gemstone Junior Colloquia! Congratulations!
Thesis Proposal Defense, February 2016