Raspadskaya Mine Disaster

Another mine disaster, the death toll now at 32 with 58 trapped or missing. No sign of robots, but what is coming over the wires suggests that robots would be useful– if intrinsically safe, the robots could penetrate the mine to “see” through the hazy conditions to give rescuers an understanding of the situation and to take air samples. (To paraphrase the Johnny Cash/June Carter classic tune, “how high’s the methane, Momma…?”)

But rescue robots are a technology for after a disaster happens. Clearly much more work needs to be done throughout the work to exploit technology for prevention.