We propose the prototyping of a sensor-enabled quadrotor aircraft platform to construct 3D building models to support search and rescue operations. This technology will provide sensor-rich visualization of buildings overlaid with temperature gradients, air contamination, and hazardous zones for more informed rescue strategies. The proposed system has the potential to lower first responder casualties and minimize mission execution time. The goal of the HAWK project (Helicopter Aircraft Wielding Kinect) is to build upon a pre-built quadrotor aircraft platform to include a low-cost depth camera (stripped down Xbox Kinect) to conduct rapid Simultaneous Localization And Mapping (SLAM) of a building in a single fly-through. All Intel Atom-powered quadrotors will locally capture the depth and image data and transfer it to the base station for SLAM processing and rendering of a 3D building model. As each craft is deployed with multiple sensors on board, we will incorporate a thermal camera, CO, and SO2 sensor data to overlay thermal gradients and air contamination information over the captured 3D building model. The system incorporates advanced flight controls, runtime UAV coordination algorithms, and low-cost image and depth perception sensors to execute complex SLAM algorithms.

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