To speed rescue efforts, engineers at Sandia National Laboratories have developed a robot that would eliminate some of the unknowns of mine rescue operations and arm first responders with the most valuable tool: information.
It was only a few months ago that DARPA initiated their ambitious Robotics Challenge that reserves a cash prize for a (probably) humanoid robot that can drive to a disaster area and perform several rescue functions including breaking through rubble and closing off a leaky pipe.
Current applications for Superbot are being developed with space exploration in mind, but Shen said the technology could be usefully applied in any environment dangerous to humans such as for search and rescue tasks in mines or underwater -- although the laboratory is still working on a morphing robot capable of swimming.