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Getting
lost may be getting harder to do with this new scrunchable, stretchable and water-resistant
antenna that can be sewn into your clothes:
It’s meant for life vests worn in the water, and connects to the Cospas-Sarsat distress signal network. The Cold War-era system consists of radio beacons on aircraft, ships and satellites, networked with ground receivers and search-and-rescue centers. A ship, plane or person can activate an emergency distress beacon, which transmits a signal that satellites can detect. The satellites report the distress call’s location to rescuers nearby, who can use it to narrow down their search area.
The wearable antenna would transmit a distress signal if the user activates it. It transmits a low-frequency signal, which is an impressive feat for such a small antenna. In field trials, a person wearing the life vest who was marooned at sea could be pinpointed within a few minutes, the ESA says.
A rescue robot that picks up victims and takes them inside of itself. What could possibly go wrong?
The Robocue is operated by the Tokyo Fire Department and used to extract people from areas where rescue workers can’t go safely. It then uses pincers to pull a person on to a conveyor belt and inside its protective walls. Video at the link.
