Emergency Responders Unleash Robot Armies in Search and Rescue Missions

She's been at ground zero in the thick of the rescue efforts following the 9/11 attacks in New York City. She's been supervising unmanned rescue activities at the Fukushima Power plant in the aftermath of Japan's disastrous tsunami. Now, we've finally caught up with Dr Robin Murphy from the Center of Robot-assisted Search and Rescue at Texas A&M University. In this interview with Defence IQ's Samantha Tanner, she discusses UAV, micro UAV and UGV systems. From the first hour through to the first 24 hours following a natural disaster, there is a ticking clock for rescuers - both in terms of locating survivors and beginning infrastructure recovery. What does Dr Murphy think the future holds for robotics in the SAR domain? Submersible ROVs (remotely operated vehicles) are clearly the next generation - as they bring added capability to the challenging maritime SAR environment.

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