KXAN.com
AUSTIN — The Austin Fire Department is exploring the possibility of using robots for emergency-response situations. Members of AFD’s Robotic Emergency Deployment (RED) team have spent weeks training to master the controls of rescue robots.
The RED Team spent Friday at the Govalle Water Plant working on improving each controller’s hand-eye coordination. The exercise was simple. “We’ve got different mannequins hidden downstairs in different areas. Our controllers are upstairs. They don’t know where the mannequins are hidden,” said Donelson.
AFD chose the Govalle Water Plant for testing because the sturdy concrete and steel surrounding the tunnel systems provide an area that’s dimly-lit with low, communication signals — a typical situation at emergency scenes.
Full story: Rescue robots helping Austin firefighters save lives