Prometeo is a robot that helps rescue teams find victims in catastrophe situations.
A joint analysis by the UN and the Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) confirms that natural disasters are now more intense and deadly. In 2016 there were losses amounting to more than € 175,000 million, affecting 411 million people and causing 7,628 deaths. Prometeo is a small robot inspired by the morphology of the hexapods. However, its legs are not conventional, but have a "C" shape which allows it to move through difficult terrain and overcome obstacles like stairs. Thanks to this, it can be introduced in places where robots with wheels or caterpillars would be stuck. Therefore, it shows the rescue teams the situation, so that they can evaluate how to act without having to put their lives at risk.
It is a hexapod robot designed for rapid deployment in emergency situations.
Its configuration of 6 legs and their morphology makes it able to move through abrupt and unfavorable lands, places where commercial robots with wheels or caterpillars can not move. Furthermore, it is reversible; this means that if the robot overturns for any reason, it can continue moving in this position.
This represents a great advance compared to conventional methods for rescue tasks because it can enter more than 3 meters as it happens with poles. Thanks to its legs system it is able to overcome more obstacles than other robots.
"The rescue teams are at great risk in each operation; the robots can be their allies and anticipate what they will find"
"It is as important to save lives in a catastrophe, as rescue teams do not suffer any injury because they are unaware of the environmental dangers"
Prometeo contact
Antonio Barrientos Cruz, Jorge De León Rivas
Centro de Automática y Robótica CAR UPM-CSIC
e: antonio.barrientos@upm.es
e: jorge.deleon@upm.es
UPM contact
Innovation, Commercialization and Entrepreneurship Area
Centre of Support for Technological Innovation – UPM
e: innovacion.tecnologica@upm.es