Robots are an essential tool for disaster relief. They can search through rubble, detect chemical and biological agents, and assist in the treatment of victims – saving time and lives.
The following guide tackles the pros and cons of each robot manufacturer, with a focus on the disaster relief aspect.
Robots have many strengths which make them very suitable for disaster relief. Some might argue that they are too expensive to rely on in this instance, and that it would be better to rely on human power instead, but there is no debate about their usefulness when it comes time for rescue operations or cleanup efforts.
How Do Disaster Relief Robots Work
46 researchers were able to participate in 77 exchange trips because to EU funds provided under the Marie Skodowska-Curie activities programme. Through project workshops and seminars, the project also directly trained roughly 270 individuals.
Robots can be helpful in a number of ways. First, they provide a safe environment for search and rescue personnel.
They can clear debris, providing a safe environment for human rescue workers. Secondly, they can assist in moving heavy objects that would be dangerous to humans or would require too much effort to move by human strength.
Finally, they can help with lifting things that would be difficult for human hands to lift. For example, a robot arm could replace the need for building materials that would otherwise be too heavy to lift at all by hand.
Benefits Of Disaster Relief Robots
Robots are increasingly being used to assist in search and rescue operations following disasters. The use of robots can help to speed up the process of finding and rescuing victims, as well as providing assistance in hazardous conditions.
Artificial intelligence is also playing a role in disaster response, with some robots being equipped with the ability to identify potential victims and assess the severity of their injuries.
In the 1980s, scientists first raised the possibility of deploying robots in search and rescue missions.
1. Robot Can Go Where Humans Cannot
Disaster areas are often full of rubble and debris. They can be unstable, full of cracks and holes that could cause a human to fall or even get stuck.
Robots do not have this problem, they can easily traverse over any terrain and in all kinds of weather conditions. This makes them the perfect tool for rescue operations or cleanup efforts.
2. Robots Provide A Safer Environment For Search And Rescue Workers
Search and rescue personnel are at risk of injury in many ways during these kinds of operations. Debris may fall on them, contaminates may harm them, or they could be exposed to harmful gases or chemicals while they work on site.
Robots can be sent ahead of the rescue workers to inspect areas, clear debris, and warn of dangers. This provides a much safer working environment for these people.
3. Robots Can Help With Search And Rescue Efforts
A robot’s eyes can spot things that would be nearly impossible to spot by hand. They provide a great way to look through rubble without giving humans a close up view of the site.
In a collapsed building, they can find survivors without putting family members in danger or even taking them away from where they need to be able to work themselves.
4. Robots Can Help In Search And Rescue Efforts
Just hours after the World Trade Center attacks on September 11, 2001, rescue robots were first employed in a disaster. Since they can easily traverse obstacles and dangerous terrain, they are perfect for getting to areas that would be too difficult for humans to access.
They can also be equipped with sensors that allow them to detect gas leaks or chemical contaminants, for example, before a human arrives. This helps prevent further danger to human responders on scene.
5. Robots Are Used To Clear Wreckage Quickly
Search and rescue personnel need robots for this purpose when large scale disasters require the removal of debris from collapsed buildings or other kinds of obstructions.
They can be used to clear debris that may be harmful to rescuers and send them home as soon as possible, instead of waiting for larger machines to arrive.
6. Robots Help Improve Public Confidence During Rescue Operations
The public is more likely to have faith in rescue operations if they see robots on site too. It may help them feel less worry about friends and family who live in the area or even show them that relief efforts are going as well as possible thanks to the use of these kinds of resources.
Since many people – especially first responders – believe robots will do a better job than humans, it might make the public even more confident in how well a company responds to these sorts of disasters.
7. Robots Can Help With Search And Rescue Operations
It may be difficult for some to believe, but robots can be sent ahead of additional search teams to provide them with greater safety while they clear debris during a disaster.
They can warn of dangerous areas so that people can be evacuated safely if necessary and make the process of searching for survivors more efficient.
8. Robots Are Used To Help With Cleanup Efforts During Natural Disasters
Murphy and her colleagues were sent to Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast in 2005, where they deployed drones to map the extent of the storm’s destruction.
Robots are very useful in short term disasters such as earthquakes or firestorms, where people need to clean up debris and make areas safe again very quickly.
Their fast movements allow them to navigate and clear rubble much faster than a human can, so that cleanup can happen more quickly.
9. Robots Are Used To Search For Victims During Natural Disasters
A robot’s dexterity makes it an excellent tool for looking through rubble in search of survivors or victims. After the initial search teams have been evacuated from the area, these robots can be sent in to complete the search and rescue process.
They can be programmed to alert rescuers if they find any victims buried under the rubble, providing their exact location for human rescue workers nearby to respond.
Risks Of Disaster Relief Robots
Drone technology proved invaluable in rescue missions after buildings collapsed at the United Nations.
The drones were able to quickly and efficiently survey the area and locate survivors. This technology has the potential to save many lives in the future. Hurricanes Harvey and Katrina’s aftermath flooding was observed using drones.
When disaster strikes and buildings collapse, an emergency integrated lifesaving lanyard can help save lives. A team led by a robotic arm can help remove debris and victims from the area quickly and efficiently.
1. Robots Can Be Dangerous To Human Workers
Robots are mechanical and they are not immune to injury or death that can be caused by mechanical failure. In addition to humans, they may injure other animals or even cause damage to property that should remain in tact, since it’s on public property.
They could also potentially damage valuable resources like fuels or pharmaceuticals if left on site too long, causing contamination.
2. Robots Won’t Know The People Who Have Died
Although robots could assist with search and rescue efforts and provide a safer working environment for rescuers, their primary use would be in disaster relief operations where people need to recover from the disaster quickly and save as many lives as possible.
It’s unlikely that the president or other would-be volunteers, who are not trained in search and rescue, would be able to operate robotic units. This means they wouldn’t be able to tell anyone who is dead and who is alive.
3. Robots Might Be Distracted By All Of The People Around Them
It may seem like a good idea for robots to help with search and rescue efforts in a disaster area, but this is another way they could become dangerous instead of helpful.
If they can serve as a replacement for humans, they could be easily identified as something different by rescuers and end up distracting them when they should be focused on where their real mission lies.
4. Robots Can Easily Be Destroyed Or Damaged During A Disaster
While it seems like robots would be able to handle a lot of damage and go through many dangerous situations without being put out of commission, this isn’t always the case.
They are designed to withstand certain conditions like wind, water and even fire, but if they encounter something extreme like an explosion or some other kind of violent event, they could easily become damaged beyond repair or completely destroyed.
5. Robots Could Cause Confusion During A Disaster Site
After the 2017 earthquake in Mexico City, roboticists and emergency personnel collaborated to deploy snake robots.
As you can imagine, the presence of robots during a disaster can lead to some confusion. If people are used to seeing people operating robots, they might be confused when they see them being operated in a different way.
They may believe one is helping while another is causing damage, so they may choose to do nothing and shut down their operations.
6. Robots Could Cause More Harm During A Disaster Than Good
Perhaps the most serious issue with using robotic units during search and rescue efforts is that they could actually cause more harm than good.
They could inadvertently tip over debris that should have been left in its place for rescuers to use or accidentally damage important structures or equipment on site.
They could cause more damage than they correct by causing confusion among rescuers and other humans that are around.
7. Robots May Distract Human Workers From Their Jobs At The Disaster Site
As we’ve mentioned earlier, robots can be distracting for rescuers who aren’t used to seeing them performing certain tasks.
If a disaster center has several people working on different tasks, it’s possible that one or more of these people will want to stop and get a closer look at the machines to see what they’re doing or how they’re operating.
This could distract them from what they’re supposed to be doing while making the situation more dangerous than it needs to be.
8. Robots Might Leave The Disaster Site Too Quickly
Although robots are great for speedy cleanup efforts, they aren’t necessarily built for speed. If humans are looking to save as many lives as possible during a disaster, then machines that take longer to complete tasks might make things more difficult for them.
If a robot needs to navigate through debris and it takes several minutes or even hours, that’s time that human workers have wasted and could have used more efficiently to search for survivors or victims.
Final Note
We might see more disaster relief robots in the future, but we shouldn’t count them out just yet. It’s clear that they can be very useful in certain situations, even if they are somewhat limited in capability.
It’s also worth mentioning that there are some instances where robotic units may not be appropriate at all and it will still be necessary to rely on human workers alone to complete the task.
Last Updated on October 13, 2022 by Parina Parmar
