Robot meant to aid in mine rescues

ALBUQUERQUE, Aug. 16 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say they're developing a rescue robot that could reach trapped miners while dealing with obstacles such as rubble piles and flooded chambers.

In a mine rescue attempt, humans face dangers like poisonous gases, flooded tunnels, explosive vapors and unstable walls and roofs that can slow rescue efforts to a frustrating pace, scientists at the Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque say.

Sandia's Gemini-Scout Mine Rescue Robot can navigate through 18 inches of water, crawl over boulders and rubble piles and search ahead of rescuers to evaluate precarious environments and help plan operations, a release said Tuesday.

"We have designed this robot to go in ahead of its handlers, to assess the situation and potential hazards and allow operations to move more quickly," Jon Salton, a Sandia engineer and the project manager, said.

"The robot is guided by remote control and is equipped with gas sensors, a thermal camera to locate survivors and another pan-and-tilt camera mounted several feet up to see the obstacles we're facing."

The 4-foot long robotic scout can also haul food, air packs and medicine to those trapped underground, the researchers said.