Are Drone and Biobot Design the Way of the Future for Disaster Relief?

While drones haven’t exactly made a great name for themselves in recent news, there is one bit of news coming out of North Carolina State University that offers hope for Search and Rescue teams often sent into extremely perilous situations. While a majority of the population has some misinformed idea that drones are being released as spy mechanisms or WMD carriers by unfriendly governments, they actually can be designed to serve invaluable functions for disaster relief.

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One prototype developed by researchers at NCSU can be used for aerial inspection of such things as buildings felled by a major earthquake, thus mitigating risk to human Search and Rescue teams, many of which may be volunteers. Instead of fearing drones and biobots, many companies are producing UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) to put to use in situations like the one described above.

What NCSU Has Accomplished

In an article released on November 17, 2016, researchers announced that they had developed a unique combination of hardware and software that enables them to use insect cyborgs, commonly referred to as biobots, and UAVs to inspect large disaster areas that have previously been extremely dangerous to approach. It is their idea that a swarm of insect cyborgs and other types of drones could be released over large areas that have been devastated by disasters, hopefully with the intent of mapping the area and seeking life amidst the rubble.

This new technology can be made possible with the use of technology like Altium Design Software that enables CAD specialists to work with very small PCB technology, putting together a unit that incorporates robotic software with working UAVs for automation of processes that have, in the past, had devastating impact on human lives. By using robotics, human lives can be saved.

Past Problems with Designing Many Types of Biobots

When you are looking at technology that is literally as small as an insect, the design isn’t going to be easy. Bear in mind just how small that little cyborg is and then consider how much technology needs to be inserted in such a tiny instrument. This is where CAD comes into play and one of the reasons why drones and biobots are not only possible, but the way of the future in many industries, only one of which is disaster relief.

Enlightening a Misinformed Public

It is true that many people fear drones and biobots because they are working on the assumption that their small size is designed that way to make them less visible to the human eye. However, in cases like the UAV technology newly designed by North Carolina State University, broader implications are being brought to the public’s attention.

Instead of fearing drone technology that could have a multitude of lifesaving benefits, more companies should invest heavily in robotic innovations. UAVs and biobots can get into places that are too small or too dangerous for humans, saving countless lives in the process. From mapping and charting areas of the globe that have been hitherto inaccessible to searching for life amidst rubble, UAVs and biobots are our future. It’s time to get on board or get left behind.