Disasters

The current cost of buying 1,000 camp beds for a refugee camp is $110,000 to $220,000, it takes two weeks to produce them, another two weeks to ship them (by land or sea) and 24 hours to set them up. By comparison, 1,000 Humanitaria beds cost $17,000, can be produced in hours on existing, readily-available packaging machinery in every major city in the world, delivered folded flat by plane next day and can be set up in 20 minutes. The first 24 hours is critical in disaster response and this invention brings massive promise!

Good Thinking

Humanitaria has created a cardboard bed for the critical first 24 hours of a humanitarian emergency. The beds can be manufactured at 1,000 units per hour for a 10th of the cost, assembled 200 times quicker, and landed where needed 100 times faster.

There may be a lot of water at some disaster sites – such as where tsunamis have struck – but it's all undrinkable

Technology

Low-power desalination tech may provide drinking water at disaster sites

At disaster sites, it's not uncommon for both the water supply and electrical grid to be out of commission. That's where a new system may someday come in, as it utilizes just a small amount of electricity to desalinate seawater for drinking.

Acoustic data helps scientists to better classify and provide earlier warnings of tsunamis

Science

Hydrophones and AI improve tsunami early warning systems

With the aid of arms control technology and artificial intelligence, a team of scientists at Cardiff University's School of Mathematics has developed a method that uses underwater microphones to provide early warnings of potentially deadly tsunamis.

The Vita Rescue System uses four bi-directional electric fans to eliminate problematic litter movements

Good Thinking

Vita Rescue System keeps medevac litters from spinning and swaying

We've all seen footage of disaster victims being hoisted into helicopters, in litter-type stretchers. It's not a good thing if those litters start spinning or swaying, though, which is what the thrust-vectoring Vita Rescue System is designed to stop.

Two specimens of Eastern tree frog at the extremes of coloration. The left one was taken from within the Chernobyl exclusion zone, while the right one was found outside the zone

Biology

Evolution in action as frogs in Chernobyl exclusion zone turn black

Evolution occurs as species adapt to environmental pressures, and few environments exert pressures like the Chernobyl exclusion zone. A new study shows evolution in action as frogs within the radioactive region are turning blacker than those outside.

The SQuRo robot is similar in size, form and function to the Norway rat

Robotics

Robotic rat may one day search for survivors at disaster sites

While scientists have already created tight-space-exploring robots based on snakes and cockroaches, rats are also highly adept at squeezing through narrow openings. They now have a robotic equivalent of their own, in the form of the SQuRo.

Among other things, Echo SAR could be used to locate people buried in an avalanche

Drones

Echo SAR turns cell phones into drone-detected rescue beacons

When arriving at a disaster site, one of the most crucial tasks is to locate any survivors who may be trapped in the debris. A new module is designed to let drones do so, by detecting the radio signals of victims' mobile phones.

Weighing one pound, ReadySight rolls on what look like a couple of miniature tractor tires

Robotics

ReadySight first responder robot can be tossed into sticky situations

A startup created specifically to develop machines for first responders, Company Six, has now unveiled its first creation, a rugged, video-streaming robot called ReadySight that can be tossed into hairy situations.

Climate change has led to a huge increase in natural disasters such as floods, a new UN report has found

Environment

Climate change driving huge surge in natural disasters, UN finds

The frequency of natural disasters over the past two decades is almost double that of the 1980-1999 period, a new report from the UN has revealed, with extreme weather events driven by climate change accounting for a large portion of the uptick.

Nissan has modified its latest generation Leaf e+ electric passenger car and transformed into a mobile power and disaster relief concept

Automotive

Nissan drives out mobile power and disaster relief concept

Toyota and Honda recently started testing a fuel-cell bus designed as a mobile power source for disaster relief. Now Nissan has driven out an emergency response vehicle based on its Leaf electric car that will also provide emergency power.

When a hurricane or other natural disaster causes a blackout, the Charging Station bus can roll into town and provide emergency power

Automotive

Testing of fuel cell bus as mobile power source for disaster relief begins

When disaster strikes, the power often goes out, and it may be a good while before it's restored. Toyota and Honda start testing the Moving e system this month, a fuel cell bus designed to serve as a mobile power source for disaster relief.

The aircraft may be commercially available in around one and a half years

Drones

Radiation-tracking drone could follow leaks to their source

Searching for sources of potentially harmful radiation isn't a job that most people would want – so why not get a drone to do it? Well, a team of Czech engineers is currently developing just such an aircraft.