Welcome to Rescue Team

  In Japan, it begin to foucs attention on the life rescue system to the city type disaster, since suffered the Hanshin-Awaji(Kobe) earthquake. Now, Centerring on the NPO internatinal rescue system research mechanism go about the research on the life rescue system. In the one expected most in these researches, there is "Life rescue system using the robot". Because the robot researchers in the United States organizing the team with the rescue team, and doing the life serch activity using by the mobile robot, and found two or more remains of the victims by 9.11 from under the rubble. This case was drafted the robot for the first time in an actual rescue site officially. Afterwards, the research on the rescue robot starts rapidly, and became a part of Ministry of Education's urban renaissance project "Metropolotan great earthquake reduction making special project" is a movement in the air group in Japan in 2002. The robot and the related technology were utilized by this, and the development was made on the disaster correspondence technology.The disaster correspondence technology for three work mainly separate, the exploration and support type, the obstruction removal support type, The information collection type.

 

  In the situation revolving around us, the robot who specialized for each work is studied and developed. However, there is mainly a problem still, and they must be solved. The block such as the rubble in the disaster environment is very unstable and dangerous. Therefore, the necessary robot is lightweight. Goods such as the rescue equipment are often insufficient, when the disaster arose. Therefore, those rescue equipment must be large carried from another region. So, the high expansion and contraction rate ,the lightweight is problem. However, those problem reaches solution that reduction and decomposition of the robot. And, the plan that it is made to spread through the family conflict by the robot and adds the rescue function. Even in that case, the necessary robot is lightweight, the high expansion and contraction rare. Given this situation, I think that the problem is important issue.Moreover, the disaster environment is nonuniform environment. Therefore, The robot seems to have to have been transformed to the shape adapted in the every situation. And, it is necessary that the simple repair is possible, when it broke down in the field.And, I think that by equipping with what kind of sensor unit, it must be able to use it.

 

  Our laboratory developed Film-Surfaced Bellows(FSB). We aim at lightweighting and improvement of storing efficiency by using FSB for a frame of a robot. FSB does the expansion development by filling the gas in the film side. Therefore, It is higher than a past frame the storage efficiency, and has the advantage of lightness. Moreover, it doesn't cause the ignition even if breaking down because FSB uses air for the gas now. Our team develops the robot with a light, high storage efficiency by using FSB and aims at practical use in the disaster scene.

Written by  A.Asahina