• Image of collapsed building following earthquake Turkey 2011Image: Fatih Polat/ Dreamstime.com
  • 7 November 2011

    When an earthquake hits, collapsing buildings are the biggest cause of death and injury. Hunting for survivors in the wreckage is difficult and often dangerous. Could a robotic search-and-rescue team save lives?

    alexjohnson

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  • Rescue robots in pictures

 
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60 second interview

  • Photo of Kevin Peterson

    Kevin Peterson is the engineer from the University of California, Berkeley who built the winged robots.


Points of View

  • Image of Kris Hurley

    We asked some experts what they think of robotic search-and-rescue teams.


1,550 comments on 'Could robots find earthquake survivors?'

  1. antennagallery

    Craig

    June 30, 2012 at 13:42

    maybe in lyk a billion yrs lol :)

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  2. antennagallery

    Louise

    June 30, 2012 at 15:04

    mabey they will but humans may be safer as robots could easily break down

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  3. antennagallery

    Blodwyn

    July 1, 2012 at 13:12

    yes they absolutely could!!!!

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  4. antennagallery

    Oscar

    July 1, 2012 at 15:15

    they might melt!

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  5. antennagallery

    Harri

    July 1, 2012 at 16:05

    i love robots but i do worry that one day things will get out of control and they will have more power than humans. they need a USE WITH CAUTION sticker!

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  6. antennagallery

    Robot

    July 2, 2012 at 11:19

    sure they can

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  7. antennagallery

    Vj

    July 2, 2012 at 12:44

    robts will never replace humans..l.l

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  8. antennagallery

    Audrey

    July 2, 2012 at 13:57

    Yes I think that it might be possible for robots to save people. But how would they move them?

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  9. antennagallery

    Laura

    July 3, 2012 at 12:02

    perhaps, if they were properly preserved

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  10. antennagallery

    John

    July 3, 2012 at 16:13

    I am a scientist at the imperial college, robots would be a useful way to see the effects if earthquakes and a good way to conduct research

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  11. antennagallery

    Luis

    July 3, 2012 at 16:20

    it is a great idea but probably will need a few more years to improve…

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  12. antennagallery

    Annabella

    July 4, 2012 at 14:36

    could you use heat monitoring to find the people? or would thenarea surroumding be too warm?thermal camera?

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  13. antennagallery

    JJ

    July 4, 2012 at 14:38

    YEAH I GUESS ROBOTS COULD BE USED I MEAN IF ITS A BETTER AND EASIER ALTERNATIVE TO SAVE PEOPLE THEN YEAH X

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