MIT develops flexible robot to help first responders

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has teamed up with researchers to create a robot capable of weaving through rubble to find disaster survivors.

When disaster strikes, time is of the essence when finding survivors trapped under debris.

This scenario is often life-or-death, and takes an intense toll on emergency responders both physically and mentally.

That’s why MIT Lincoln Laboratory has partnered with researchers at the University of Notre Dame to create a soft and flexible robot to help emergency responders find survivors faster.

The robot, Sprout, is described as a “vine robot” that can “grow and maneuver around obstacles” while also navigating small spaces.

Emergency responders can use Sprout to navigate through collapsed buildings and structures. Sprout can explore, map, and find the best routes through rubble and debris to find more survivors efficiently.

Chad Council, a member of the Sprout team, told MIT that search and rescue missions are often “brutal and unforgiving,” making it difficult for even the best technology to operate.

"The fundamental way a vine robot works mitigates a lot of the challenges that other platforms face," Council said.

But with Sprout, first responders can navigate tight spots that many of the other technologies emergency personnel use can’t do.

How does Sprout the robot work?

The robot is made up of an inflatable tube comprised of air-tight fabric that “unfurls from a fixed base.”

Sprout then inflates and is controlled by a motor to navigate spaces that humans and other technologies can’t reach.

The robot is equipped with a camera and sensors that are mounted on top of the tube. Sprout can then map the environment that the robot is traveling through.

From the outside, an operator uses a device that shows them what’s going on under the debris. The first responder can then maneuver the robot via joysticks, similar to what you may use while playing a video game.

Sprout can deploy up to 10 feet, and the team is currently working to modify the robot in order to allow it to navigate deeper environments.

Sprout in action

Emergency responders at the  Massachusetts Task Force 1  training site in Beverly, Massachusetts, have tested Sprout in collaboration with MIT Lincoln Laboratory.

While there were many challenges that came with Sprout’s design, the test let researchers improve the robot’s durability.

The test also allowed researchers to see the portability of Sprout and figure out how to “grow and steer the robot more efficiently.”

The team plans to use this technology to maintain military systems or critical infrastructure with “difficult access locations,” MIT said.

“The initial program focused on mapping void spaces, but future work aims to localize hazards and assess the viability and safety of operations through rubble.”