Japan's new flying robot can open doors to enter buildings
Japan's new flying robot can open doors to enter
buildings
(Xinhua) 10:32, November 08, 2014
TOKYO, Nov. 7 -- A team of Japanese scientists have
developed a flying rescue robot with a device that can open doors to enter
buildings hit by earthquakes or accidents, the Nikkei reported Friday.
The robot was developed by Hideyuki Tsukagoshi, an
associate professor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, and his fellow
researchers. It has successfully opened an office door and passed through it in
an experiment, according to the research team. The robot is designed to survey
the situation inside devastated buildings.
Flying robots are capable of flying over rubble and
uneven ground levels in outside areas. However, they cannot move around easily
inside buildings because doors block their way, so they are of limited
usefulness when they go to the rescue of people trapped in disaster-hit
buildings.
The new robot is flat and rectangular, 60-70 cm on a
side, and hovers using propellers on its four corners.
To open a door, the robot uses suction cups to stick to
the door's surface. Then, it presses its arm with an air bag-like device
against the door handle and blows the bag up to open the door. After partially
opening the door in this way, the robot uses its propellers' wind pressure to
open it further.
After making enough space, it flies through the door. The
research team plans to equip the robot with a small camera so they can remotely
control it.
Comments
Post a Comment