If you're in a building that collapses, it's quite possible you'll find yourself trapped under rubble for hours or even days. As hope vanishes, and things look dreary, you might see a "light." But, it might not be the light you'd expect to see: it'll come from the head of a slithering robot that looks like it escaped from one of your worst nightmares
The robot is Carnegie Mellon's modular snake that has been developed to find people under the rubble of fallen buildings. It's currently being put to the test in Texas' "Disaster City" in trial rescue operations by the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service.
After a rescue dog drops the robot in a desired location, the snake will send live video to operators; and that's where the bright light at the tip of its head comes in. It's snake-like appearance is useful because it allows the robot to maneuver through places where other robots, or humans, can't reach.
It might be scary, but your life may depend on it one day.
[via PopSci]
