For most people, snakes are unpleasant or scary animals. But when Howie Choset sees them, he sees a way to save lives.
The 37-year-old Carnegie Mellon University professor has spent years developing snake-like robots he hopes will be able to slither through collapsed buildings in search of people trapped after natural disasters or other emergencies.
Recently, Choset and some of his students made a breakthrough: their remote-controlled robots can now climb up and around pipes.
PHOTO: AP
Rescue workers say robots like these would help them find survivors. The equipment being used today isn't able to move as easily as the new snake robots, and usually has to be lowered into collapsed buildings, Choset said.
``Right now, the way to get to these trapped survivors is to pull the rubble out one rock at a time,'' Choset said. ``So our dream is to have the snake robot (slither) through this collapsed rubble and get to victims more quickly.''
He said it usually takes about 90 minutes for rescue workers to start digging through the rubble, while a robot can immediately slither into a collapsed building. They are also safer because ``you don't have people pushing rocks around you,'' he said.
``The rescue workers are the heroes,'' he said. ``These are just better tools.''
Choset said the robots may not be ready for use for another five to 10 years.
For now, he and his team plan to continue testing the machines at fake disaster sites around the US. (AP)
對多數人而言，蛇是不受歡迎或嚇人的動物。不過霍伊．喬賽望著蛇時，卻找出了一個拯救生命的方式。
這位三十七歲的卡內基美隆大學教授花了數年時間研發機器蛇，希望在自然災害或緊急事件發生後，這些機器蛇能爬入傾毀的大樓內，搜尋受困的民眾。
最近，喬賽與他幾位學生取得了重大突破：能沿著水管迂迴而上的遙控式機器蛇。
搜救人員表示，這樣的機器蛇可以幫他們找到倖存者。喬賽說，目前所使用的設備不像新機器蛇一樣活動自如，往往必須放低才能進入傾毀大樓內。
「目前接近受困生還者的方式是，一次搬出一塊石頭挖開瓦礫堆，」喬賽說：「所以我們夢想讓機器蛇（爬）到瓦礫堆中，儘快找到受難者。」
他說救難人員通常要花九十分鐘的時間開挖瓦礫堆，但機器蛇卻可以立即爬入危樓內。他說救難人員也會比較安全，因為「不會有人把石頭往你身上堆」。
「救難人員是英雄，」他說：「這些（機器蛇）只是更佳的工具。」
喬賽表示，機器蛇約要等上五到十年才可加入救難工作。
目前喬賽與他的小組成員計畫持續在全美各地的模擬災區測試機器蛇。 （美聯社／翻譯：賴美君）
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