Video: Rescue drone swallows humans, carries them to safety

The Tokyo Fire Department faces somewhat stiffer challenges than your run-of-the-mill blown battery or imploding workstation, so we're happy to see them enroll the use of some hi-tech machinery into their arsenal. The latest entrant is a human extraction bot, designed to do the heroic fireman thing without risking the lives of any actual, uh, men. Operated by remote control, it gets into hot, wet or earthquakey zones, finds the unconscious humanoids and devours them for later regurgitation. What's not to love? We haven't got a name for it yet, though we know it has a bigger brother equipped with all sorts of cameras and environmental detectors, so we suspect this is a pretty intelligent little beast as well. Just mosey on past the break already, and try to keep the Soylent Green jokes to a minimum.

[Via Ubergizmo]

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[(Unverified) Posted Aug 12th 2009 3:40PM]

"now you're free to see the world"

[akarol Posted Aug 12th 2009 3:48PM]

Seems stupid IMHO.

[BlazeKing Posted Aug 12th 2009 6:49PM]

This is something that should be in Tomica Hero Rescue Force/Fire.

[Polymath Posted Aug 12th 2009 4:27PM]

While fire fighters generally welcome all the help we can get (especially if its a new toy), I would be quite skeptical of this device. Your average fire fighter in full gear with a tool can have 100 plus extra pounds on his body. Add the weight of a victim and you could have as much as 500lbs with a small footprint moving around in a fire, or collapse weakened structure. This thing looks like it weighs nearly that much by itself. And as folks mentioned earlier, what about the obese? People with braces on a limb or anything else on their person that might block the "mouth" could be trouble as well. Not to mention what do you do when the victim wakes up while being "swallowed"? Most people react poorly when they wake up while being carried out. A victim will tear a mask off killing the fireman and themselves in a panic. Above all else this thing moves way too slow.

It has a lot of potential though. I can definitely see it working in more open areas where there just weren't enough personnel on the ground or there was a bio/chemical hazard. It has more potential as a pack mule that follows fire/rescue teams to carry supplies in or carry victims out after they have been pulled from the immediate danger. For instance if it could ferry spare air bottles or even refill air packs so that firemen didn't have to use up their air supply crawling to and from the seat of the fire. Even with a high pressure bottle you only have 30 minutes max of breathable air, less if your really exerting yourself.

Its a great idea, but is has a long way to go.

[fnc Posted Aug 12th 2009 4:34PM]

"It fell for the bait mannequin! Detonate! Detonate!"

[kobioshi Posted Aug 12th 2009 4:43PM]

Great! So now we have the EATR (http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/10/eatr-robots-are-coming-this-isnt-funny-anymore/) robot which self-fuels on biomaterials (humans amongst other things) and this new "rescue robot"... Danger Will Robinson, Danger! Now if these things get too smart or some idiot human decides its a good idea to build a hybrid between these two robots... Well you do the math Morpheus. We deserve to be eaten by our own creations... We are so stupid!

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 12th 2009 5:16PM]

Do you actually pay attention to the articles on EATR? Do you know how f-ing complicated it is to digest meat? Plant matter is sooo much easier. Oi.

[ferno1016 Posted Aug 12th 2009 6:03PM]

notice the resemblance to my woodchipper. creepy thoughts

[akhan360 Posted Aug 13th 2009 11:18AM]

Looks like an efficient, modern day guillotine. Ew.

[Michalis Posted Aug 12th 2009 7:33PM]

and what if someone's not in the correct position to be swallowed, huh??

[unaninanomous Posted Aug 12th 2009 9:34PM]

If we can only find a way to give them emotions...

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 12th 2009 11:55PM]

the idea is good but when i think about the trouble my printer has with a similar process i start t get the creeps

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 13th 2009 3:49AM]

Ergh... After seeing what my lazer printer did yesterday. I did NOT need that mental image in my head...

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 13th 2009 2:32AM]

Soylent Green is people!

[krymson Posted Aug 13th 2009 1:14PM]

Looks like fat people are out of luck.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 13th 2009 12:54PM]

Wall-e?

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 24th 2009 2:58PM]

does he digest you afterwards to end your pain?