RescueRobot
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Rescue robots map and explore dangerous buildings, prove there's no 'I' in 'team' (video)
We've seen robots do some pretty heroic things in our time, but engineers from Georgia Tech, the University of Pennsylvania and Cal Tech have now developed an entire fleet of autonomous rescue vehicles, capable of simultaneously mapping and exploring potentially dangerous buildings -- without allowing their egos to get in the way. Each wheeled bot measures just one square foot in size, carries a video camera capable of identifying doorways, and uses an on-board laser scanner to analyze walls. Once gathered, these data are processed using a technique known as simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), which allows each bot to create maps of both familiar and unknown environments, while constantly recording and reporting its current location (independently of GPS). And, perhaps best of all, these rescue Roombas are pretty team-oriented. Georgia Tech professor Henrik Christensen explains: "There is no lead robot, yet each unit is capable of recruiting other units to make sure the entire area is explored. When the first robot comes to an intersection, it says to a second robot, 'I'm going to go to the left if you go to the right.'" This egalitarian robot army is the spawn of a research initiative known as the Micro Autonomous Systems and Technology (MAST) Collaborative Technology Alliance Program, sponsored by the US Army Research Laboratory. The ultimate goal is to shrink the bots down even further and to expand their capabilities. Engineers have already begun integrating infrared sensors into their design and are even developing small radar modules capable of seeing through walls. Roll past the break for a video of the vehicles in action, along with full PR.
iMobot creeps, crawls, cranes its way into our hearts (video)
It may not look like much, but this little modular robot's got the stuff to give Keepon a run for its money -- oh yeah, and according to its creators, iMobot's got big implications for the field of robotics too. Sporting four degrees of freedom, two rotating joints, and a pair of faceplates that act as wheels, the patent-pending device can crawl, drive, and potentially act as an autonomous camera platform. The surprisingly agile hunk of machinery was developed by two UC Davis professors who say their versatile invention could aid in search and rescue, as well as education and research. We think it's super cool that iMobot could be a hero, but really, we just want to see it bust a move. Check out a video of our new robo love after the break.
Robovie rescue bot hunts high and low for lost princesses (video)
If you've been feeling blue because you haven't got enough green to keep the old bank account in the black, we've got just the tonic for you, dear friend. There's nothing that gets us all perked up and cheerful quite like an adorable humanoid robot negotiating an obstacle course in the performance of a rescue mission. In fact, if you layer on your own "save the princess" narrative atop the on-screen events, the pep in your step should be back in no time. The smile-inducing video can be found after the break.
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]
Yokohama fire department enlists robotic crawler to aid evacuations
Robots that rescue folks in disaster areas or other perilous situations aren't exactly a new idea, but this bot set to go into service in Yokohama certainly takes a more unique, and slightly more terrifying approach to the matter than usual. Apparently, the seemingly unnamed robot can not only carry a 110 kilogram person over difficult terrain with ease, but monitor the occupant's vital signs as well, although complete details on that, and any other technical details are a bit hard to come by at the moment. As with most such robots, however, this one's apparently not completely autonomous, with it packing some infrared cameras to allow its operator to locate folks even in conditions with poor visability. No word if it'll also be offering itself up as a capsule hotel in its days off.
Gizmo bot is here to help
With a cute name like that you wouldn't expect this Gizmo robot to be so bent on risky reconnaissance missions, but that's what creator Javier Rodriguez Molina has in mind for his modular progeny. Gizmo is designed to gather information at disaster sites and relay it to whoever however, be that over wireless internet, cellular, Bluetooth or other means. Multiple bots can network together to collaborate, but while the current version of the bot is mostly a glorified remote control rover, future versions will carry all sorts of sensors and come in all sorts of form factors. Research is ongoing at San Diego's "Calit2," and the hope is for the final bot to come in under the $1,000 price point to make it easy for police, fire departments and other rescue organizations to buy the bots off the shelf.
Hanool's Hanuri-RT rescue bot touts go-go-gadget tracks
Probably best known for its Roomba-esque robovac, Hanool is branching out a bit and introducing the Hanuri-RT rescue robot in Korea. The incredibly large machine sports a simple, yet menacing design and a sophisticated track system that that can expand in a multitude of directions in order to reach places that humans could have difficulty accessing. Unfortunately, details are scant when it comes to explaining the control method and determining just how capable this off-roading beast really is, but click on through and view a few more pictures of this bad boy in action for the time being.
