Meet The Octopus: A Robot That Can Save Lives

New Japanese device is designed to clear rubble and rescue people

The Octopus gets its name from its four arms. Source: Waleda University

The Octopus gets its name from its four arms. Source: Waseda University

On the surface, the Octopus resembles a robot that could easily come out of  a comic book. But make no mistake, this Japanese device is grounded in reality. In fact, the robot is designed to clear rubble and rescue lives in disaster-hit regions.

How the Octopus Disaster Relief Robot Functions

The robot – a joint collaboration between the Kikuchi Corporation and Waseda University’s Future Robotics Organization – features four arms and eight limbs (hence the ‘Octopus’). Additionally, it boasts four large wheels and remote control capabilities.

Weighing in at 70 kilograms, the 1.7-meter robot was unveiled at a recent conference for the Fukushima Disaster and Medical Welfare Project. “We hope to overcome the obstacles that come with natural disasters and an aging society, and use this robot to bring new industries to Fukushima,” professor Masakatsu Fujie said during the conference.
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The robot requires two operators. Source: Waseda University

The robot requires two operators. Source: Waseda University

The Octopus is designed to clear rubble and potentially save lives during disasters like the 2011 Fukushima earthquake, which left dozens of people injured and blasted radiation into the sea and sky. In addition to tsunamis and earthquakes, developers say the Octopus can come in handy for recycling systems, during fires and radioactive management procedures.

Users can add features such as an optional grappler for radioactive waste purposes and an optical fibre laser that can cut through stone.

What’s unique about this Disaster Relief Robotic Device?

Disaster-response robots are anything but new. Engineers have been using lightweight bots to go through rubble for at least 15 years. Recently, the U.S. Navy started using a device called the Shipboard Autonomous Firefighting Robot (SAFFiR). SAFFiR does exactly what its name suggests; it helps ensure that shipboard fires don’t get out of hand. 

However, most of these robots are programmed to serve just one function at a time, generally on flat terrain.

A rendering of the Octopus. Source: Waseda University’s Manga club

A rendering of the Octopus. Source: Waseda University’s Manga club

The Octopus differs in that it’s equipped with hydraulic capabilities. This offers simultaneous use of its four arms – each one capable of carrying up to 200 kilograms. Similarly, its four wheels and crawlers offer the robot access to a variety of terrains. Additionally, the robot’s two front arms can be summoned to offer body support when it’s navigating through uneven land. Finally, the robot can lift its body completely off the ground using its four arms.  

Currently, it takes two people to operate the Octopus – a number that the researchers hope they can bring down to one in the near future.