WiFi Repeater Deployment for Improved Communication in Confined-Space Urban Disaster Search

We examine the use of WiFi repeaters to extend the range of wireless devices employed in confined space search in an Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) environment. Confined spaces are often encountered by emergency responders at disaster sites. They typically are too small or hazardous to be searched by humans but may be accessible by rescue robots controlled and monitored from outside the space. We employed a purpose-built confined space training area constructed of steel reinforced sewer tubing to determine strategies for maintaining a usable signal for devices deployed within spaces with similar characteristics at disaster sites.