SPROUT search and rescue robot
by Terrymiller: MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Rescue teams hitting a dead end in collapsed buildings is the problem SPROUT was built to solve. MIT Lincoln Laboratory and the University of Notre Dame put this thing together, and its body inflates so it can slip through the tightest openings in the rubble. Cameras and sensors ride along, letting crews scan wrecked structures and track down survivors stuck underneath. Because it's made of soft materials that stretch and grow, it can work in cramped, uneven, or fallen-in spaces where people or standard robots can't fit. That's what makes it a real asset when earthquakes hit.
Transcript (en)
Meet Sprout, a flexible robot designed for search and rescue missions. It was developed by MIT Lincoln Laboratory in collaboration with the University of Notre Dame. Sprout is made of soft materials that can grow and stretch through tight, uneven, or collapsed spaces. These are places that are often too dangerous or too small for humans or regular robots. Sprout can squeeze through the rubble, and with a camera and sensors attached, it can locate people trapped under collapsed buildings. This makes it extremely useful during disasters like earthquakes.
