GPS News  
ROBO SPACE
Tiny robots map buildings -- without help

disclaimer: image is for illustration purposes only
by Staff Writers
Atlanta (UPI) May 16, 2011
Tiny robots working by themselves and communicating only with each other can explore and map buildings, a team of U.S. researchers that built the machines says.

The robots, with advanced autonomous capability, developed by a team from the Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of Pennsylvania and the California Institute of Technology Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

"When first responders -- whether it's a firefighter in downtown Atlanta or a soldier overseas -- confront an unfamiliar structure, it's very stressful and potentially dangerous because they have limited knowledge of what they're dealing with," said Henrik Christensen, a professor in the Georgia Tech College of Computing.

"If those first responders could send in robots that would quickly search the structure and send back a map, they'd have a much better sense of what to expect and they'd feel more confident."

The team developed tiny autonomous robots that operate as a group, carrying sensors and transmitting a detailed floor plan of a building to nearby humans within minutes.

"There is no lead robot, yet each unit is capable of recruiting other units to make sure the entire area is explored," Christensen said. "When the first robot comes to an intersection, it says to a second robot, 'I'm going to go to the left if you go to the right.'"



Share This Article With Planet Earth
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit
YahooMyWebYahooMyWeb GoogleGoogle FacebookFacebook



Related Links
All about the robots on Earth and beyond!



Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


ROBO SPACE
Robot Based on Carnegie Mellon Research Engages Novice Computer Scientists
Pittsburgh PA (SPX) May 09, 2011
Learning how to program a computer to display the words "Hello World" once may have excited students, but that hoary chestnut of a lesson doesn't cut it in a world of videogames, smartphones and Twitter. One option to take its place and engage a new generation of students in computer programming is a Carnegie Mellon University-developed robot called Finch. A product of CMU's famed Ro ... read more







ROBO SPACE
Livestock genes could protect against one of Africa's oldest animal plagues

Drought tolerance in crops: Shutting down the plant's growth inhibition under mild stress

India's top court imposes ban on 'toxic' pesticide

New Strategy Aims to Reduce Agricultural Ammonia

ROBO SPACE
Graphene optical modulators could lead to ultrafast communications

Pentagonal tiles pave the way towards organic electronics

NRL Scientists Achieve High Temperature Milestone in Silicon Spintronics

Intel chip breakthrough a boon for mobile gadgets

ROBO SPACE
China Has Opportunity to Lead a Transformation in Air-Traffic Management

Solar plane makes 13-hour flight

Swiss solar aircraft makes first international flight

China Southern Airlines unit buys six Boeing 787s

ROBO SPACE
Perfect welds for car bodies

Saab, Spyker announce auto deal in China

Saab, Spyker announce auto deal in China

Berlin doubles subsidies for electric cars

ROBO SPACE
US casino mogul says Wynn now 'Chinese company'

Seaports need a plan for weathering climate change

Japan delays decision on Pacific trade pact

China's April foreign direct investment up 15.2%

ROBO SPACE
Will global climate change enhance boreal forest growth

Reforesting rural lands in China pays big dividends

Rainforest ants use chemicals to identify which plants to prune

Fierce debate in Brazil over forestry protection

ROBO SPACE
NASA ocean-watch satellite ready for June launch

Tornado Challenges Satellite Damage Track Detection Techniques

NASA Mission Will Observe Earth's Salty Seas

ESA's water mission keeps tabs on dry spring soils

ROBO SPACE
2 graphene layers may be better than 1

Diamonds shine in quantum networks

Climate Change From Black Carbon Depends On Altitude

New Fracture Resistance Mechanisms Provided By Graphene


The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2010 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement