Vine Robot SPROUT Inflates to Navigate Rubble and Aid Rescue Missions
Summary
SPROUT, a revolutionary vine robot developed by MIT and Notre Dame, can inflate an airtight fabric tube to navigate tight spaces and rubble, aiding rescue missions by mapping environments and finding optimal routes through debris with its cameras and sensors.
Key Points
- SPROUT is a vine robot developed by MIT Lincoln Laboratory and University of Notre Dame to help emergency responders search through collapsed structures
- The flexible robot can navigate through tight spaces and around obstacles by inflating an airtight fabric tube
- SPROUT carries cameras and sensors to map the environment and find optimal routes through debris for rescue teams