International Journal of Emerging Research in Science, Engineering, and Management
Vol. 2, Issue 4, pp. 30-34, April 2026.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Design and Development of a Spider-Inspired Hexapod Robot for Disaster Search and Rescue Operations Using Embedded Systems and AI-Based Vision
M Pavani
K Sirisha
K Sreeja
V Sudharani
R Vishnu
A Babulu
Department of ECE, Gokula Krishna College of Engineering, Sullurupet, AP, India.
Abstract: Natural and man-made disasters such as earthquakes, landslides, fires, and structural collapses create hazardous environments that pose significant risks to human rescuers. To address these challenges, this paper presents the design and development of a spider-inspired hexapod robot for disaster search and rescue operations. The proposed system utilizes a six-legged bio-inspired structure that enables stable locomotion over uneven terrain, rubble, and confined spaces. The robot is equipped with an embedded control system based on an ESP32 microcontroller, which coordinates servo-driven leg movements using a tripod gait mechanism to ensure continuous stability. Additionally, a vision-based human detection system is implemented using a camera module integrated with YOLO (You Only Look Once) and Open CV for real-time object detection. The system communicates detection results via UART to enable responsive robot behavior such as stopping and alert generation. Power management is enhanced through the use of a buck converter and battery management system (BMS), ensuring stable and efficient operation. The proposed robot significantly improves terrain adaptability, fault tolerance, and operational safety compared to traditional wheeled and tracked robots. Experimental results demonstrate reliable locomotion, accurate human detection, and efficient power utilization. This work contributes to reducing human exposure to dangerous environments and enhances the effectiveness of disaster response operations.
Keywords: Hexapod robot, disaster response, bio-inspired robotics, ESP32, YOLO.
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