Emergency

You don't really need a shovel until you REALLY need a shovel. DMOS presents a way of having that shovel without dedicating too much space to it. Its near-unbreakable Delta Shovel telescopes, folds and clasps to the vehicle, expanding into a full-size shovel when needed.

​Oregon's Arcimoto has unveiled a new variant of its battery electric three-wheeler that's aimed squarely at emergency, security and law enforcement services. The Rapid Responder is due to be tested at two locations in the US, ahead of production next year.​

Imagine if an emergency vehicle could not only bring the team to the edge of the disaster zone but actually step right in, striding over top flaming rubble to get responders exactly where they need to be. That's the all-new Hyundai Elevate concept, an electric vehicle with robotic legs.

Last year the Red Cross and Land Rover teamed up on Project Hero, an emergency vehicle concept car that kitted out a Land Rover Discovery with a deployable drone for search-and-rescue operations. Now the custom Discovery has entered active service with the Red Cross in Austria.

Purisoo combines two popular water filtration concepts into one, creating a water bottle that can draw water, filter it and carry it through the wild. The design keeps microscopic nasties away from your lips and ensures you're only carrying clean water around.

​Without the proper insurance, a trip in an ambulance can be an expensive affair. A new study carried out by economists at the University of Kansas (UK) suggests that more people are avoiding these costs by turning to Uber when the situation isn't too dire.

​​For self-driving cars to become commonplace, they will need to be equipped to handle every possible traffic scenario that could come their way. That is why Google spin-off Waymo has begun training its Chrysler minivans to detect emergency vehicles and the sound of wailing sirens.

With less than 10 percent of people surviving an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, the time it takes to get a defibrillator to a patient can be the difference between life and death. A new study has shown that a drone can transport a defibrillator over four times more quickly than an ambulance.

Revealed at the IAA Commercial Vehicles Show, the flashy Navara EnGuard pickup concept is designed for rescue in the world's most remote, extreme environments. It includes an onboard drone and a portable power supply derived from Nissan Leaf battery tech.

Beyond the well-known Mylar emergency blanket, there's a small market of light, portable emergency gear designed to fend off hypothermia. The XeroVest from Delaware-based XeroGear packs small and light and inflates into form, relying on air pockets and heat reflective design.

Shen Ao shovels are like larger than life Swiss Army knives. The latest, the 3.9-foot (1.2-m) Z3, relies on a modular handle and multipurpose blade to light up camp, cut wood, start fires and charge your phone. And it can even dig a hole.

The struggle to rebuild Nepal's infrastructure since the devastating earthquake that struck in April has inspired some architects to try and help. New York City's SHoP Architects recently made a commitment to build 50 schools for the ailing country.