Remote robots and semi-autonomous devices hold immense potential to build and inspect long-term infrastructure and to improve safety and response time when communities face distastes, like floods, earthquakes, and fires. However, these platforms must be able to operate reliably in highly hazardous conditions.
A recent effort in EDG includes working with local Fire Departments and experts in fire to re-imagine how technology can be used to help prevent devastation and loss of life. Please see the Fire Research Group website for more information on this growing collaboration. Robots could help to clear dangerous levels of underbrush, provide early detection and response accuracy, help monitor communities as they escape, and help make firefighter response safer and more efficient.