Whether the rescue is on land, in the air, or at sea, there is always a robot capable of doing it.
Fremont, CA: Rapid rescue attempts following a natural catastrophe or other emergency are essential for minimizing casualties, regardless of the type of emergency. Rescue professionals must race against the clock to save as many lives as possible while every second counts. However, humans are not designed to work nonstop; burnout and tiredness can lead to potentially hazardous errors. This is where robots can be of assistance. The ability of robots to traverse hazardous or hostile terrain is a tremendous asset for rescue missions.
Land
Imagine a damaged and radioactively contaminated nuclear power plant. Even if sealing off the radiation or maintaining the safety features are relatively straightforward operations, no one wants to endanger the health or life of a human worker. Here, robots equipped for dexterity can be helpful. In situations where it would be unsafe for humans to conduct crucial jobs, dexterous robots can be dispatched to carry out these duties. Small robots have been deployed after catastrophic disasters such as the World Trade Center attacks and Hurricane Katrina to crawl into spaces inaccessible to people. These tiny but powerful robots are outfitted with unique treads that enable them to cling to debris and search for stranded humans.
Air
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or drones predominate when it comes to air rescue. Drones can provide a bird's-eye view of a catastrophe zone and rapidly cover miles in order to locate individuals more quickly than humans. Drones are indispensable for charting the scope of a disaster and monitoring conditions that change swiftly for human rescue teams. They have already been utilized to detect natural survivors and lost hikers. Additionally, aerial drones have been used to drop flotation aids to swimmers caught in perilous currents.
Sea
The oceans can be a hazardous environment for humans. Even on a sunny day, strong rip currents can sweep swimmers out to sea, or a poor swimmer may be too far from shore for lifeguards to reach. Robots are ideal for water rescues since they do not tired like human swimmers and do not require oxygen. This indicates that water-based rescue robots have a number of advantages and a wide range of applications.
