Tiny Automated Drones Could Alert City Leaders to Gas Leaks

A swarm of miniature autonomous drones, they are designed to safely retrieve and operate unattended gas line leaks in the dense urban environment.

The researchers constructed prototypes of eight and eight-and-a-half-foot robots that can employ a variety of functions in the event of an unplanned gas leak. They include stabilization and the ability to deploy traps, cut cables, or move large components of the gas network in order to seal the leak. The team also developed an algorithm which determines the best courses of action.

The craft is currently about 100 square feet in size. The team is developing drones with longer arms in order to start repairing larger pieces of the gas network. These robots may not operate remotely, but they can be operated manually or autonomously. The swarm is able to complete each task without interruption, which allows them to work in over 18,000 ft² spaces.

Humans may not be able to navigate through the city alone in the event of an untimely gas leak. And currently, engineers are unable to shut off the gas network without causing an explosion. Thus, most of the experts agree that an autonomous swarm is the future of emergency response and their systems have plans to implement this technology into a real life scenario.

More information:

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