Design of a Helicopter Urban Disaster Rescue Module

The design details of a helicopter-borne underslung rescue module for rescuing people from tall buildings in an urban disaster situation are presented. Based on a survey of existing civil and military helicopter assets, 5-person and 10-person rescue modules are shown to allow an optimum use of existing resources. The special considerations involved in rooftop and window rescue situations and the need for auxiliary thrusters for stabilization of the rescue module when operating near tall buildings are discussed. Design details of the rescue modules such as placement of auxiliary thrusters and configuration of entrance door/walkway for window rescue are presented. Analytical results are shown to demonstrate the feasibility of a platform-independent smart winch for stabilizing underslung rescue modules and ensuring zero sway operations.