Japan Earthquake 2011: Robots Deployed To Aid Recovery Efforts

In the aftermath of the massive 8.9 earthquake which struck Japan on Friday, and the devastating tsunami that followed, two teams of robots have deployed to aid rescue workers.

According to IEEE Spectrum, the robots are being used to hunt through rubble in areas that are inaccessible or dangerous for humans.

Two types of robots are being employed. The "Active Scope Camera" is a long, skinny snake-like camera which will wiggle into hard-to-reach places. "Quince", a larger robot with wheels, will climb atop the rubble. Both machines will be tasked with looking for survivors.

IEEE Spectrum reports,

Quince is a mobile robot equipped with four sets of tracked wheels, some of which can move up and down to allow the robot to negotiate obstacles. It carries cameras as well as infrared and carbon-dioxide sensors for detecting the presence of survivors trapped under rubble.

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