Standing Tall

BOT'S-EYE VIEWS

Robotics and the World Trade Centers

by Angela Palmer

Scientists affiliated with the Center for Robot-Assisted Search and Rescue (CRASAR)
brought robots to the World Trade Center site immediately after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The robots were sent into the rubble to search for survivors and human remains.

CRASAR's Web site features still images and videos of the robots at work,
including "bot's-eye view" footage taken by cameras mounted on the robots
themselves. Following are a few examples. More still images are available here, and *.mpg movies
can be found here.

IMAGES




A robot view onClick="window.open('','popup1','height=440,width=500,scrollbars=no,resize=no')"
target="popup1">into a conduit (one of the horizontal supports for the floors).

A robot view onClick="window.open('','popup1','height=440,width=500,scrollbars=no,resize=no')"
target="popup1">inside the conduit.

A robot view looking onClick="window.open('','popup1','height=440,width=500,scrollbars=no,resize=no')"
target="popup1">out of the conduit. This picture comes from the final video shot before this robot was lost.

A look at onClick="window.open('','popup1','height=440,width=500,scrollbars=no,resize=no')"
target="popup1">Building 7 prior to its collapse.

A robot onClick="window.open('','popup1','height=440,width=500,scrollbars=no,resize=no')"
target="popup1">view of the hole it was entering. This film shows that the area was unsafe for workers to enter.

A picture of onClick="window.open('','popup1','height=440,width=500,scrollbars=no,resize=no')"
target="popup1">one of the robots that captured most of the images and video.

MOVIES (MPG)




target="popup1">Robot view of the conduit. This particular video proved that the area was unsafe for workers who were about to be lowered down -- the robot was lost after 40 feet.

onClick="window.open('','popup1','height=300,width=320,scrollbars=no,resize=no')"
target="popup1">A robot view of the parking garage about one block from the World Trade Centers.

onClick="window.open('','popup1','height=300,width=320,scrollbars=no,resize=no')"
target="popup1">A robot view as it looks for victims. The robot runs into a conduit at the bottom.

onClick="window.open('','popup1','height=300,width=320,scrollbars=no,resize=no')"
target="popup1">A robot view during a simulation (inside a bank).

onClick="window.open('','popup1','height=300,width=320,scrollbars=no,resize=no')"
target="popup1">Robots performing building reconnaissance. These are larger robots (most of the footage was shot by smaller robots).