About us

About TRACE

Tactical Reconnaissance and Assessment for Critical Environments

An offline, affordable, cooperative two-rover emergency system engineered for high-risk indoor reconnaissance and real-time hazard mapping.

The problem

Rescuers shouldn’t enter blind.

During disaster emergencies like earthquakes, fires, and floods, rescue teams enter damaged buildings without real-time knowledge of safe routes, structural hazards, or cleared zones.

This severe uncertainty puts lives at risk through completely avoidable hazards, delaying critical rescue operations when seconds matter most.

Our solution

Two rovers go in first.

TRACE utilizes two identical, low-cost rovers that inspect accessible indoor areas side-by-side and relay synchronized observations directly to a single local command post.

Using autonomous navigation, custom ultrasonic mapping, and environmental sensors (smoke, temp, distance, camera), TRACE merges telemetry into one clear live map accessible to responders and civilians.

Key features

What TRACE does.

Real-Time Hazard Mapping

Hazards, temperature spikes, smoke density, and cleared zones render live on a unified map as the rovers sweep through building sectors.

Sensors & Mapping

Autonomous Navigation & Override

Rovers split frontiers automatically using cooperative logic, with seamless manual takeover available for operators whenever needed.

Control System

Responder Telemetry & Public Updates

Tactical response units receive full sensor feeds while censored, essential situation updates are published directly to civilians online.

Live Access
Technical Approach

Engineered for Reliability.

Split Reconnaissance

Simultaneous split entry (Rover A left, Rover B right) divides coverage. Real-time frontier reservation prevents route overlap, while dead-end recovery backtracks smoothly.

Cooperative Logic

Acoustic Deconfliction

Ultrasonic range sensors pulse sequentially in 30ms windows to eliminate echo crosstalk between adjacent units operating in tight corridors.

Sensor Harmony

Hardware Protections

Dual power rails isolate motor noise from the 5V ESP32. Cameras and front sensors are recessed behind chassis bumpers to withstand wall impacts.

Hardware Durability
Architecture

The Tech Stack.

The Rover Hardware

  • Controller: ESP32-C3 SuperMini
  • Sensing/Mapping: HC-SR04 Ultrasonic
  • Orientation: MPU6050 IMU
  • Sensors: MQ-2 (Smoke), DHT11 (Temp)
  • Vision: ESP32-CAM
  • Drive: N20 Motors + DRV8833 Driver
Hardware

Local Software

  • Network: Local ESP32 Wi-Fi AP
  • Protocol: HTTP Data Transmission
  • Coordinator: In-house Python (Tkinter)
  • Mapping: Real-time IMU + Ultrasonic fusion
  • Output: Live Position, Alerts & Telemetry
Local Station

Web Platform

  • Live Feed: Filtered public telemetry
  • Emergency Map: Location-based hazard alerts
  • Database: Firebase Realtime Sync
  • Learning: Certified NDRF safety guidelines
  • Access: Responsive Web Platform
Cloud & Web
Bal Bharati Hackathon 3.0

Team: The Black Parade

School: BBPS GRH Marg, New Delhi | Category 2 (10th to 12th)

Aahana Chawla

Team Member

Class 11

Aarav Agarwal

Team Member

Class 12

Aarav Parashar

Team Member

Class 12

Atharva Keswani

Team Member

Class 12

Dheirya Kharbanda

Team Leader

Class 12

Ruchi Gupta

Mentor

BBPS GRHM, New Delhi

Try it

See the platform.

Visit TRACE