In the aftermath of a disaster such as an earthquake, it's of the utmost importance to quickly find live victims buried under the rubble. A new device, created by a team led by ETH Zurich's Prof. Sotiris E. Pratsinis, could make doing so cheaper and easier than ever.
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When tsunami-triggering events such as underwater earthquakes occur, sound waves known as acoustic gravity waves (AGWs) are sent out through the water. Now, scientists from Cardiff University have developed a method of analyzing those waves, to predict how destructive the tsunami will be.
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One of the more unsavory consequences of natural disasters can be the lack of access to toilets. Design firm Nendo has taken aim at this dilemma, developing a flat-packed toilet that can be carried in a bag and built on-site with the help of commonly found waste materials.
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When Hurricanes Maria and Irma tore through Puerto Rico last month, Alphabet's X lab was quick to answer the call. Following a successful launch, its internet-beaming balloons have now been switched on and are already providing hard hit parts of the population with connectivity.
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While current seismometers can pick up tremors with precision, they’re short-ranged and expensive. Now a Stanford study has demonstrated that an extensive earthquake-detection network could already exist right under our feet: the optical fiber cables piping high-speed internet throughout cities.
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Japanese architect Shigeru Ban has made his name by using cardboard and wood to craft low-cost disaster housing, and he will need to be at his enterprising and creative best as he tackles his next big project – to design thousands of new shelters in a major refugee settlement in Kenya.
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If you ever find yourself stuck in a disaster zone, your rescuer could be a soft robotic snake. A Stanford team has developed a flexible robot that grows like a vine, squeezing through rubble to find trapped survivors and even delivering water to them.
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Japanese researchers have built on last year's disaster relief excavator to create a remotely-operated prototype with two arms that can rotate 360 degrees around its central pod. The team has also developed a four-fingered "hand" to help the robot get to grips with heavy duty construction work.
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Drones could bring benefit to disaster-relief scenarios by serving as temporary communications networks in place of those destroyed by the event. Researchers have now taken a step forward in this area by demonstrating a drone-based cell network that offers coverage kilometers away.
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Drones are poised to make a very positive impact on search and rescue efforts going forward. Looking to make a contribution of its own, Land Rover has teamed up with the British Red Cross for a purpose-built search and rescue drone that launches from the roof of a bespoke Discovery.
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