A robot intended to assist during in rescue efforts during disasters is being developed.
It will be able to use its propulsion backpack to reach dangerous locations
The following written content from Jonathan Chadwick
Cub has been developed by engineers at a research institute in in Genoa, Italy. It could be deployed in search and rescue operations following natural disasters. Its height (3.4 feet) will allow it to reach places humans or drones cannot get to.
An Iron Man-style robot is designed to help out during natural disasters by wading through rubble and using its propulsion backpack to fly over difficult terrain.
The robot, called iCub, has been developed by experts at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) in Genoa, Italy.
Robotic systems in iCub’s palms will allow it to control power and direction as it zooms through the air using propulsion rockets.
iCub’s modest size – just 3.4 feet – and propulsion abilities will allow it to reach spots humans or drones cannot get to in search of human survivors.
The reminiscent of the Iron Man armour worn by Marvel Comics character Tony Stark, played on the big screen by Robert Downey Jr.
According to experts at IIT, the field of robotics is still lagging behind in terms of offering affordable solutions for disaster scenarios.
‘Every year, about 300 natural disasters kill around 90.000 humans and affect 160 million people across the world,’ the institute’s website says.
‘Unfortunately, robotics is still lagging behind to offer affordable solutions in these disaster scenarios.’
iCub has been in development for more than 15 years. He has been named partly in a nod to the man-cub from Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book.
At 3.4 feet (104 cm) tall, it’s just the size of a five-year-old child, and comes with a slightly eerie, doll-like face.
iCub can crawl on all fours, walk and sit up to manipulate objects, such as fragmented pieces of building or rubble, while its hands have been designed to support sophisticated manipulation skills.
‘It is one of the few platforms in the world with a sensitive full-body skin to deal with safe physical interaction with the environment,’ IIT says. Read more from DailyMail
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