Tsunami and Robotics

"Fighting landslides is dangerous work, but help from space is on its way. Recent testing in Italy has shown that the four-tonne Roboclimber can secure slopes without endangering human lives, thanks to innovations from Europe's space programmes."

Giant robot helps prevent landslides, 12 Jan 2005

J Wolfgang Goerlich

These disasters are always happening in one form or another continuously, why pick on this one? The application of robots may add to the stress and confusion already surrounding devistated victims. It is evident that most societies are not ready to welcome them into their homes even when things are going fine! Let`s see now, Robo-pets and Washing machines are already common place as melding into the home scenario and are totally useless in an earthquake. It seems that everything that isn`t autonomous is still acceptable after a catastrophy because these things don`t neccessarily require the ordered and structured living environment normally encountered day to day. So is it robots we are really after here or just usefull machines which can be put to use in a chaotic environment? No robot built yet, with all the research and development that science has provided can be of use here.

I`ll be positive about one aspect though; Where the environment is less hostile and emergency forces have provided adequate facilities, robotics could emerge in re-establishing vital communications to monitor the progress of the situation for example.

----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ashley Clarke

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Donate money.

earthquake,

I agree, donate Money to a respectable charity that is helping the victims. I donated to Oxfam.

Yes, it is obvious that money donation is one of the most effective way of helping. And offcourse all sensistive people must have been donated to respectable charity organizations already.

I want to find out is that can robotisist, similar to medical personnel, offer any other additional help? Isn't there any REAL, usefull outcome from the robotic research to be used to help fellow humanbeings?

Yes....definitely.....donate_HALF_ of the extremely high salary that you earn as the result of being employed in avant-garde research.

Develop a nearly indestructible, small tethered robot to send down in to unstable and dangerous debris piles with a light, camera, an intercom, and a way to dispense water / electrolytes to trapped victims.

Or as everybody else says, donate money. :-)

Andy

Remotely Operated Vehicles have been used.

An example is at

On Tue, 18 Jan 2005 21:14:28 GMT, "Andy Baker" wrotg:

duct tape a bottle of Gator-Aide to it and you've got a winner.