Soft Vine-Like Robot Helps Rescuers Find Survivors In Disaster Zones (mit.edu) 10
New submitter MicroBitz shares a report: SPROUT, short for Soft Pathfinding Robotic Observation Unit, is a flexible, vine-like robot developed by MIT Lincoln Laboratory in collaboration with the University of Notre Dame. Unlike rigid robots or static cameras, SPROUT can "grow" into tight, winding spaces that are otherwise inaccessible, giving first responders a new way to explore, map and assess collapsed structures. Beyond disaster response, the technology could be adapted for inspecting military systems or critical infrastructure in hard-to-reach places, making SPROUT a versatile tool for a variety of high-stakes scenarios. "The urban search-and-rescue environment can be brutal and unforgiving, where even the most hardened technology struggles to operate. The fundamental way a vine robot works mitigates a lot of the challenges that other platforms face," says Chad Council, a member of the SPROUT team, which is led by Nathaniel Hanson.
"The mechanical performance of the robots has an immediate effect, but the real goal is to rethink the way sensors are used to enhance situational awareness for rescue teams," adds Hanson. "Ultimately, we want SPROUT to provide a complete operating picture to teams before anyone enters a rubble pile."
You can see the SPROUT vine robot in action in a YouTube video from MIT Lincoln Laboratory.
"The mechanical performance of the robots has an immediate effect, but the real goal is to rethink the way sensors are used to enhance situational awareness for rescue teams," adds Hanson. "Ultimately, we want SPROUT to provide a complete operating picture to teams before anyone enters a rubble pile."
You can see the SPROUT vine robot in action in a YouTube video from MIT Lincoln Laboratory.
Glad I saw this (Score:4, Interesting)
Years From now, trapped but conscious inside a collapsed structure, I'll stand a much better chance of recognizing this as a rescue attempt, and not a fever dream.
Re: (Score:2)
Years From now, trapped but conscious inside a collapsed structure, I'll stand a much better chance of recognizing this as a rescue attempt, and not a fever dream.
You say that now but just wait until it starts going up you pant leg!
Perfect place to try it out: (Score:2)
Gaza.
Re: (Score:2)
I was thinking Myanmar. The sad thing is that, in both these places, you have the military either not prioritizing rescues, or actively killing first responders.
Technology could be adapted for .. (Score:3)
Re: (Score:1)
Friendly vine metaphor (Score:2)
Scenes from Minority Report come to mind, but there is room for nightmares from other scifi movies, oh, Matrix Revolutions, fertile scary territory.
Re: (Score:2)
Well, to be fair, it's pretty unlike a snake, in that it doesn't slither. Rather than sliding along forward, it "grows" at the tip, becoming longer as it extends through the rubble.
Re: Friendly vine metaphor (Score:2)
Oh great, tree roots that rapidly grow into every crevice... We just moved from nightmare into acid trip territory... or so I'm told.. thanks a lot!
Dr. Strange fights one , no?
Lexx (Score:2)
Yes, Stanley