Sniffer dog robot being developed to locate survivors

Technology never ceases to amaze, and when it is used to aid people, it’s even better. Well, some scientists recently published in the Journal of Breath Research that they’ve managed find a way to detect human survivors who are caught underneath rubble after a disaster using a sensor. The sensor works by analyzing the contents of the air that leaks from the rubble.

Because the air that we breathe out contains carbon dioxide, ammonia, acetone and isoprene, the detectors need to just detect those gasses in an area know that there’s someone buried underneath. With this sensor, the scientists hope to develop an “electronic sniffer dog” that could be used to search disaster sites for any survivors.

But don’t expect them to replace your regular rescue dogs – these robot sniffers will be complementing them instead of taking over. Dogs do their jobs well, but they can’t work long hours and they risk the chance of getting injured while moving through the site, robots can do what they can’t but on the other hand, robots don’t have such problems but they do have problems with maneuverability, so this allows them to work hand in hand.

George Wong
Categories: Robots
Tags: Robot, smell, technology