Robots are handy assistants to have around – after all, they never suffer from fatigue and you don’t hear them complaining about the rigors of”‘work” that they are subjected to – the most they can do is to protest through a mechanical breakdown, that’s all. Best of all is, you need not fork out medical insurance or increase their salary from time to time – how neat is that? Well, mining accidents and disasters are nothing new, but good thing technology is here to help rescue workers in their grim jobs. The Gemini-Scout is a remotely controlled rolling robot that was specially designed to lead search and rescue efforts in a mining disaster.
Gemini-Scout’s main purpose is to collect information in a mine collapse – ranging from structural weaknesses within the shafts to the presence of poisonous vapors, explosive gases, and the possibility of flooded tunnels amongst others. You don’t expect a rescue crew to run headlong blindly without making a proper sweep of the place first, do you?
Gemini-Scout does all the above thanks to a tracked propulsion and articulated suspension that lets it climb rubble piles and crawl over uneven terrain without batting an eyelid. Even 45-degree climbs are not off limits, where its relatively diminutive size will allow it to maneuver through tight spaces with ease. Gamers will find the Gemini-Scout’s controller extremely familiar – it is actually your standard Xbox 360 remote.