Bill Christensen

Technovelgy . March 22, 2007

No doubt you will accuse me of creating lurid headlines. But check out this only-in-Japan rescue robot used by firefighters working for the Tokyo fire department.

(Tokyo fire department rescue robot finds person)

This robot is designed for use by firefighters; it uses its arms to identify and pick up any people who might have passed out from the smoke and fumes generated by fires.

(Tokyo fire department rescue robot pulls person in)

The practical side of this otherwise over-the-top robot is that firemen no longer have to run into thick smoke or chemical fumes to perform the rescue.

I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t decide whether this bot made me think more of Soylent Green (”made of people”) or Monty Python (”bring out your dead!”). However, this robot might have some additional utility as a part of the Trauma Pod Battlefield Medical Treatment System.

(Robotic ’stretcher’ (left) brings soldier to pod)

Be sure to check out these other rescue robots:

• ROBHAZ-DT3 Rescue Robot In Iraq
• T52 Enryu Support Dragon Hyper Rescue Robot

Discuss it on the Outlaw Forums

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