Professor Achim Lilienthal with SmokeBot. Source: Örebro UniversityFirefighting and rescue personnel may soon have a robotic aid to assist in critical and hazardous conditions. SmokeBot was developed as part of an EU-funded project conducted by Örebro University, Sweden, in close cooperation with rescue units in Dortmund, Germany.
SmokeBot is designed to perform reconnaissance missions in low-visibility smoke-filled buildings, creating maps that firefighters can follow. The device is equipped with high-bandwidth sensors that can detect different gases and generate information about the concentration of gases. It is also fitted with radar, a laser scanner and a thermal camera, and can assess if there is a risk of a gas explosion.
While remotely-controlled by rescue workers, SmokeBot can navigate on its own if needed. Contact with operators is assured by the bot’s ability to connect itself to the internet.
The robot currently needs 15-30 minutes to collect data on an accident location, which means that it cannot yet be used in the most urgent of rescue efforts. In addition to rescue missions, according to Achim Lilienthal, project coordinator and Professor of Computer Science at Örebro University, "Another potential area where the robot could be of benefit is in agriculture. Here there is already a demand for robots that can see through dust. Gas sensors may also be used for measuring different kinds of gas emissions."
