Technology’s Response to Katrina - High Tech on the Spot
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It may be strange to think of a disaster as the natural testing ground for advanced technology devices, but certain search-and-rescue tools created in the lab need to go into the field to determine how well they work and how they can be best put to use. The researchers, who create these devices, want people to understand that they are providing tools, not taking the place of the search-and-rescue workers, with whom they often work hand in glove. According to Robin Murphy, a University of South Florida professor and the director of the Institute for Safety Security Rescue Technology, “It’s not us saving people. It’s us getting the technology to the people who will use it to save people. I always hate it when I hear people saying that we think we’re rescuers. We’re not. We’re scientists. That’s our role.”
These scientists bring quite an arsenal, including some devices that have already proven themselves in the field. Murphy’s team is linking up with the Louisiana State University’s Fire Emergency Training Institute to test out a number of tools that should assist search and rescue operations. These include:
- Robots small enough to reach victims trapped in buildings and deliver water, light, and communication devices. These little guys were already tested in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks that brought down the World Trade Center.
- Meter-long unmanned planes and helicopters that can fly over an area and wirelessly send video back to rescue workers.
- Night-vision sensors that can throw a “virtual spotlight” on an area and deliver black and white images while it remains in actual darkness.
- Sensors that can detect life from three feet away, using thermal images or the smell of someone breathing. A commercial version of this technology should be available by the beginning of October.
These wonderful devices haven’t been widely used for domestic disasters yet, because they must be tested extensively before emergency management agencies will accept them. As a result, change often comes slowly. “There’s been no real change in over 15 years,” points out Murphy in evident frustration. “You don’t have a computer that’s 15 years old. You probably don’t have a television that’s 15 years old…I’m really frustrated. I want to help get the technology out – and make sure it’s the right technology, not just people throwing stuff out there.”
Next: Communication is Key >>
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