Toward Human/Multi-Robot Systems to Support Emergency Services Agencies

The ability to make decisions that balance conflicting needs and variable-quality inputs is a skill that is inherently human. In emergency situations, such capabilities are tested under pressure, as needs and inputs change---often rapidly---and deliberation must take place quickly or else opportunities are lost. This short paper identifies challenges faced when emergency services personnel are supported by human/multi-robot systems. Several strategies are proposed to address these challenges, with deployment geared toward emergency services agencies within the next 5-10 years.