Disaster Relief Robots Demonstrated in Fukushima Pref.

June 15, 2018

Minamisoma- Robots for use in disaster relief activities have been demonstrated in an event hosted by the Cabinet Office in Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan.

Participants carried out six demonstrations, including a fire-extinguishing test using a hose-shaped robot that hovers in the air by shooting water jets, at the Robot Test Field, located mainly in Minamisoma, on Thursday.

The event was part of a government project to promote the development of disater relief robot technology in preparation for expected big earthquakes in Tokyo and the Nankai Trough off the Pacific coast of central to southwestern Japan.

Satoshi Tadokoro, 58, professor at Tohoku University, stressed the significance of the hose-shaped robot, saying it could "extinguish fires even in high-rise buildings by entering directly through windows."

Another robot was demonstrated in a mock situation in which somebody was trapped under a collapsed building.

A wired drone was flown to capture images of the site from above, while the operator remote-controlled the two-arm construction robot using captured images.

The robot lifted the roof of the building to rescue the person.

Also tested was a cybersuit for rescue dogs with a built-in Global Positioning System.

The Cabinet Office project, called ImPACT, is part of an effort by the government to develop innovative technologies.

Fukushima Prefecture is developing the Robot Test Field, which also has a facility in the neighboring town of Namie, as a robotics research center to attract domestic and foreign investment.

The center will open in stages from July. Jiji Press