BBC News
PITTSBURGH, Pa. — According to the BBC News report by Leo Kelion US researchers froma Pittsburgh based research centre, working on a snake-like robot, have tested pairing it with a search-and-rescue dog.
Two dogs were fitted with harnesses that contained the snake robot and then sent the dogs into a simulated collapsed building in a Texas training centre. The dogs released the robots from the harness inside the building. The researchers are hoping the snake robots will be able to detect and locate people trapped in places inaccessible to dogs.
The BBC report goes on to say that the dogs are trained to bark when they have found a point of interest and the harness would then unlock and release the snake. The snake robot would then send back a video feed via an attached wire linking the machine to the operators. Another firm in Berkshire, Wood and Douglas has developed a video camera that can be strapped to a rescue dog’s head to stream live footage back to base. Chris Bignell, a spokesperson for the company said:"We saw such a situation in Bangladesh last week where a building collapsed and a number of levels fell on top of each other.”
Private Detective Walsall has spy equipment and gadgets, such as hidden cameras and cameras disguised as everyday objects that can record discreet and covert footage. A system like the snake robot could enable surveillance footage to be collected from hard to reach places,possibly from places where a target might be hiding.
Spokesperson from Private Detective Walsall, Laura Hopkins said: “Equipment like the snake robot is fantastic, not only for the people it could save in earthquakes and when buildings collapse but in my professional opinion could be used by private detectives in investigations and surveillance operations.”
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