Detecting the Effect of Textual Features in Social Media Using an Innovative Machine Learning Approach with Applications for Managing Public Opinion

Rachel Wu

Recall that the problem statement of my project is to quickly and autonomously navigate and map a burning building, identify trapped inhabitants, and send recovery/escape routes to firefighters as fast as possible. During my background investigation of this subject, I discovered that navigating fires has traditionally posed a challenge for robotic systems. Traditional LiDAR (Light based) sensors are often employed for SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping: A class of perception and mapping algorithms), but these sensors lose accuracy significantly in smoke. Meanwhile, SONAR (Soundwave-based) or RADAR (Radio-based) mapping systems are often very bulky and technically complex, making them challenging to incorporate onto a dynamic robotic system. This posed a perception challenge: to develop a novel perception and navigation system that can function effectively in a fire environment.