Inspired by cockroaches that can move through tiny spaces, American scientists have designed a small robot that might one day help locate people in the rubble of earthquakes, tornadoes or explosions.

The technology from the University of California at Berkeley was unveiled Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“What’s impressive about these cockroaches is that they can run as fast through a quarter-inch gap as a half-inch, by reorienting their legs completely out to the side,” said lead researcher Kaushik Jayaram, who is now a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University. “They’re about half an inch tall when they run freely, but can squish their bodies to one-tenth of an inch — the height of two stacked pennies.”

The palm-sized robot, known as CRAM — short for compressible robot with articulated mechanisms — is capped with a plastic shield, much like the wings on the back of a cockroach.

“In the event of an earthquake, first responders need to know if an area of rubble is stable and safe, but the challenge is, most robots can’t get into rubble,” said Robert Full, a professor of integrative biology at UC Berkeley. “But if there are lots of cracks and vents and conduits, you can imagine just throwing a swarm of these robots in to locate survivors and safe entry points for first responders.”

Researchers say their robots are inexpensive to make, and they are working on various versions for real-world testing.

Funding for the research has come from the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, as part of a collaboration with between industry and university partners.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2016

Webinar: Improve Your Safety and Operations With 3D LiDAR and Video Intelligence

A May 6 IndustryWeek-hosted webinar, sponsored by HItachi Vantara

Date: Wednesday, May 6, 2020
Time: 2:00 p.m. EDT (GMT -5, New York)
Duration: 1 Hour
Event Type: Live Webinar
Cost: Free

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Description

Safety and efficiency are two critical items for any manufacturer. Forward thinking manufacturers are leveraging AI and IoT to create smart spaces in their factories, warehouses, and facilities to deliver insights and alerts that improve these key elements of worker safety and operational efficiency.

With 3D LiDAR and video intelligence manufacturers can measure what was once unmeasurable, and refine operations with new data – accelerating progress towards Manufacturing 4.0 and delivering advantages to stay ahead of the competition.

But what are these new technologies, exactly? How are they delivering value today? How can collaborative intelligence help you get started on the path to intelligent manufacturing using these solutions?

Join this webinar to learn the answers to these questions as well as real world examples of manufacturers using Lumada Video Insights and Hitachi Smart Spaces, including the following:

How a company improved process times and gained efficiencies at increasingly granular levels using 3D LiDAR and video intelligence to measure and refine human and machine interaction.
An example of 3D LiDAR currently being used for worker training and guidance that helps the company shorten the learning curve for product assembly.
How companies can automate safety equipment violation detection and reduce collisions, reducing injuries and associated workers' compensation costs.
How your company can help fight the next waves of COVID-19 through innovative technologies that enable improvements in containment, prevention, and compliance management and reporting.

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Speakers

Mark Jules, Vice President, Hitachi Vantara

Mark Jules is Vice President at Hitachi Vantara. He heads up Smart Spaces and Video Intelligence, which delivers software and hardware solutions that support safer, smarter and more efficient communities, businesses, and organizations through the Internet of Things (IoT), video innovations, and connected intelligence. Mark joined Hitachi in 2014, following its acquisition of the Avrio RMS Group, a public safety solutions company, where he served as the company’s CEO for more than a decade. Prior to Avrio, he was the President and Founder of Protean Solutions, a provider of mobile platforms for battlefield and emergency communications.

James Destro, General Manager, Manufacturing Practice, Hitachi Vantara

James Destro currently heads the Manufacturing Practice at Hitachi Vantara. His practice focuses on delivering high value outcomes through deep domain consulting and digital solutions that leverage advanced analytics to Hitachi’s manufacturing customers globally. James’ background includes more than 20 years of industrial digital solutions leadership in the manufacturing, oil and gas, chemicals, and aviation industries.

Technical Details

This webinar will be conducted using a slides-and-audio format. After you complete your registration, you will receive a confirmation email with details for joining the webinar.

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