Researchers at New York University have taken cues from the aerodynamics of jellyfish to develop a tiny machine that can fly in a way that resembles the movements of the boneless, ocean-dwelling creatures. This unique flying style will allow great movability in small spaces and could be a great addition to any search and rescue arsenal.
Here is the link to the full article at International Business Times.
Year: 2013
Robotena the Nurse Robot Transport Will Go Where Emergency Care Can’t
Robotena (www.robotena.org), a “nurse robot” which will be able to transport bodies away from the sniper towards a field medic. This robot could be used in Syria, where snipers becoming more and more ruthless and many people are afraid to go near wounded victims for fear of being the next target. One difference is that this robot will be huge, enabling it to protect a victim from further bullets within its metal body.
Here is the link to the full article at Robotics Trends
Aibotix UAS Inspects Germany’s Second-longest Bridge
The Aibot X6, developed by Aibotix in Kassel, Germany, and designed to carry out inspections or operations too dangerous for humans to carry out, can reach places that conventional devices cannot. The Aibot X6 was recently able to utilise its unique features when it inspected the famous Köhlbrand Bridge in Hamburg, Germany making sure it is still safe for drivers.
FIRST(r) LEGO(r) League (FLL(r)) Nature’s Fury(sm) Challenge: International experts are ready to answer your questions and provide feedback
Volunteers from the IEEE Technical Committee on Safety Security and Rescue Robotics are available to answer your questions and provide feedback on your challenge projects! They are listed below, please contact them directly. Please don’t post to the comments section- it won’t necessarily get to the right expert!
Austria
Prof. Gerald Steinbauer <steinbauer AT ist.tugraz.at>, Graz University of Technology, is an expert in robot navigation
Canada
Dr. Ahmad Byagowi <ahmadexp AT gmail.com>, University of Manitoba, is an expert on humanoid robotics
Prof. Alexander Ferworn <aferworn AT gmail.com>, Ryerson University, is an expert on human-canine-robot teams
United States
Prof. Julie A. Adams <julie.a.adams AT vanderbilt.edu>, Vanderbilt University, is an expert on human-robot interaction
Prof. Howie Choset <choset AT cs.cmu.edu>, Carnegie Mellon University, is an expert on snake robotics and navigation
Justin Manzo <manzo_justin AT bah.com>, Booz Allan and Hamilton, a robotics practitioner assisting with the DARPA Robotics Challenge
Prof. Robin Murphy <murphy AT cse.tamu.edu>; Texas A&M, is an expert on deploying land, sea, and aerial robots and is willing to host demos
Brian O’Neil <aviator79 AT gmail.com>, a researcher near Los Alamos, NM, who has worked with FIRST teams before
Debra Schreckenghost <schreck AT traclabs.com>; TRAClabs is one of the teams in the DARPA Robotics Challenge and willing to host demos
Prof. Dylan Shell <dylan.shell AT gmail.com>; Texas A&M, is an expert on multiple robots
Disaster In Latvia As Store’s Roof Collapses, Killing Dozens
The view from above is chilling at the scene of a disaster in a suburb of the Latvian capital of Riga, where the roof of a supermarket collapsed Thursday evening. The reported death toll is at 30 and could rise.
Here is a link to the article at NPR.
GimBall: The flying robot that navagates by crashing
Introducing GimBall — a spherical flying robot encased in a flexible cage, which allows it to happily smash into surfaces while navigating disaster sites. This technology would be very helpful in searching a disaster area where there is a large amount of debris.
Here is a link to the full article at CNN.
Phillippines: Yolanda and robots
The death toll appears to be horrific in the wake of the Super Typhoon Yolanda– we are getting inquiries as to assistance. Our thoughts and prayers go out the victims and their families.
UAVs, if on site, can provide immediate damage assessment and locate pockets of trapped survivors as well as the best transportation routes. However, if manned aircraft are available, coordination of airspace may be difficult and manned assets will generally wave off if they see an unknown UAV no matter how low or small in the area they are working in.
UMVs– water based robots- may be of great help for searching for submerged victims and determining the state of bridges, seawalls, polluting debris, etc. While this does not help with life saving, it can enormous economic impact. Initially, ROVs and unmanned surface vehicles (boats) have advantages over AUVs (underwater robots)– AUVs can’t detect the debris in the water, whereas ROVs are on a tether and USVs work on the surface. We used ROVs for the Japanese Tohoku tsunami with our partners at the International Rescue Systems Institute and greatly speed up the reopening of a key fishing port.
Nature’s Fury: CRASAR is Helping Coordinate Rescue Roboticists for the FIRST Lego League Competition
The amazing FIRST Robotics Competition Lego League is on disasters this year! Over a dozen rescue roboticists are joining me in providing expert interviews and robotics advice to the middle schoolers participating internationally. CRASAR is also working the Dr. Michael Johnson of the Center for Emergency Informatics to provide awards and educational materials for teachers and parents. CRASAR will be at the DARPA Robotics Challenge with robots used at disasters and experts for the kids to see and interact with. More to come!
Death toll rises after earthquake hits the Philippines
The death toll from the magnitude-7.1 earthquake in the central Philippines rose to 144 on Wednesday, authorities said. This earthquake caused massive damage, with still 20 people missing, and authorities are still searching for them, and anyone else who may be trapped in collapsed buildings.
Here is a link to the article at CNN.
Ridge Theatre demolition site search finds nobody
Vancouver firefighters say a search has concluded nobody was trapped in the rubble of the old Ridge Theatre on Arbutus Street near 16th Avenue on Wednesday morning.
The search was sparked after parts of the building were knocked down before crews checked to make sure if squatters, who had been suspected of using the building at night, had cleared out this morning.
Firefighters say they found no evidence anyone was trapped in the rubble after using a thermal imaging camera, a search and rescue dog, and a Vancouver Police Department robot to search the site.
The full article is at CBC.
