Robots to the rescue | Science News

Published: 03 December 2014
on channel: Science News

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In Hollywood, humanoid robots can do just about anything, including attempt to take over the world. In the real world, however, these bots struggle to do what humans do with great ease, in minutes, things like walking over piles of rubble, getting in and out of cars, moving through doorways and picking up and dropping debris.

For years scientists have tried to overcome these limitations in hopes of using the robots in the rubble of disasters similar to the World Trade Center collapse or the Fukushima power planet meltdown. Finally, scientists’ creations are starting to become more reliable as search and rescue operators. Read the full story at sciencenews.org: http://ow.ly/FjbFm

One of these bots called RoboSimian ditches some aspects of being humanoid altogether, taking on a more apelike appearance. It can crawl and roll and has mechanized fingers specifically designed for gripping things and turning them or lifting them.

Another of the bots takes a Terminator-like look and has already mastered several tricky tasks though impossible to perform, such as opening doors and scooting through them and picking up tools to use to punch through walls.

These tasks and others are part of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s robotics challenge, which is driving research into robots that can operate in disaster zones. The finals of this competition are slated for summer of 2015, and it’s here that the bots have to go a step farther than what they’ve already done. They have to master several tasks in just an hour, and, they have to do it without being attached to a power cord.

Despite who wins the finals, engineers say that their creations aren’t yet ready for full-blown disaster search and rescue. But there’s still a lot at stake. The best bot, and its operators, take home a $2 million prize, and they will definitely have an excuse for showboating at the end of the day.

Video: DRCihmcRobotics/JPL-Caltech, NASA
Illustration: James Provost
Reported by Meghan Rosen
Produced by Ashley Yeager

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