EMILY fills “The Gap” between lifeguards in boats and on shore to help 4 boats with 200 refugees arrive safely
Posted by admin on Jan 17, 2016 at 9:11 am America/Chicago
On Friday morning Jan 15, 2016, team member Chief Fernando Boiteux (on vacation from his position as head of lifeguards for LA County Fire Department) deployed EMILY along the northern shore of Lesvos finding a unique ecological niche for her: in the 100 meter “gap" between the beach and where it is deep enough for lifeguard boats to go.
“The Gap" represents a type of no-mans land for lifeguards. It's the area that the deeper water patrol boats (such as the Hellenic Coast Guard cutters use in the channel between Turkey and Greece and the smaller rigid hull inflatable boats used by NGOs) cannot enter due to draft restrictions but is too far out for lifeguards on shore to wade and has to be approached by a swimming lifeguard. If the boat capsizes, people fall or misjudge the depth and jump off, or the boat runs aground, the lifeguards in patrol boats are not in position to help. The lifeguards on land have to swim floatation devices out, taking valuable time and risking panicking people trying to climb on their heads.
Another challenge posed by “The Gap” is what happens when multiple boats arrive. Lifeguards on shore have to split their attention and may lose situation awareness of what is going on, especially in behind boats or sides that are blocked from view.
EMILY was able to fill the gap on Thursday by being able to work in the shallow water gap and to provide situation awareness with her cameras for the Hellenic Red Cross and PROACTIVA lifeguard teams on land who worked tirelessly as nearly a dozen boats arrived at first light along the rocky shore. Once on shore, other NGOs get the refugees to shelter.
This video show EMILY in The Gap and how she gives the lifeguards the ability to keep an eye on multiple boats. Note that 1 EMILY enabled 1 lifeguard to watch multiple boats and maintain general situation awareness.
We are still short of actual travel costs, so please consider donating at https://www.gofundme.com/Friends-of-CRASAR
Tags
- alpha geek
- asimov
- caterpillars
- collaboration
- cologne
- delft
- disaster reponse
- disaster response
- earthquake
- ethics
- firefighting
- ft hood
- Haiti Earthquake
- hawaii volcano
- Kobe Earthquake
- public safety
- rescue robots
- robocup
- robotics
- robotics rodeo
- snakes
- uav
- ugv
- UMV
- volcano eruption
- wired
- World Trade Center
Archives
- December 2022
- September 2018
- August 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- June 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- August 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- July 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
Our Sponsors
