Engineers at the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich have developed a serpentine robot capable of move through tight spaces such as pipes, sewers or cracks between debris, which, among other uses, could be used to search for victims of disasters.
Named ““RoBoa”this invention can go up to 100 meters in these types of environments, and with its soft and pneumatic structure it is capable of enter dangerous areasincluding places where there may be a danger of explosion and mechanical machinery that may cause sparks and deflagrations should be avoided.
“It can reach places where humans, other robots or drones are not able to reach“said engineer Alexander Kübler, one of the co-creators and part of the Autonomous Systems Laboratory at the Swiss institute.
“It uses a special movement system, being basically a tube that goes into different media with minimal friction and eliminating the need for traction,” added another of RoBoa’s creators, Pascal Auf der Maur.
According to Kübler, after events such as earthquakes, “it can go into the rubble in search of victims, and is capable of communicating with them (being equipped with microphones and speakers) or even supplying them with water.”
According to its inventors, RoBoa is already in an advanced stage of development, close to its possible commercialization. The new device could have “a great impact on inspection, search and rescue operations,” highlighted the Zurich research center.
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