Video: SCRATCHbot hunts like a rat for those trapped like one

Designed for search and rescue missions - which, let's face it, are only ever one loose word away from "search and destroy" - the SCRATCHbot uses its whiskers to detect disaster survivors in inhospitable or dangerous areas. The Bristol Robotics Laboratory developed the rat-inspired people searcher over the past 6 years and now hopes to find interest for it in underground and underwater projects where vision may be impaired. Far less heroic uses are also being contemplated, such as textile inspection and implementation inside intelligent vacuum cleaners that would be able to adjust their cleaning to the particular surface they sense. Video of the new bot coming to life is after the break.

[chanmanplanet @ Jul 1st 2009 8:58AM]

I don't know... the head part looks more like a piece of very well booby-trapped mechanical cheese...

[Smart People Play Tuba @ Jul 1st 2009 11:58AM]

That thing reminds me of this guy:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diplocaulus

[cntanw @ Jul 1st 2009 9:05AM]

哎，快疯掉了

[Jose El Maton @ Jul 1st 2009 9:12AM]

Outstanding headline.

[BobSpaceTech @ Jul 1st 2009 10:27AM]

How does it detect a person rather than some unimportant inanimate object?

[Rassah @ Jul 1st 2009 11:01AM]

By the surprised and horrified screams. Duh!

[Agent .25i @ Jul 1st 2009 12:04PM]

Wow! That's great. Now they need to make the bot that will clear a debris free, and flat surface for that mouse's nightmare.
"I don't know doc... every night, I get the same dream where the cheese is chasing me."

[tekdroid @ Jul 1st 2009 1:52PM]

Pretty cool. I want one.