Snake-Like Rescue Robot Will Scare the Sh*t Out Of You, Then Pull You From the Rubble

If I was trapped in a pile of earthquake rubble, I’d do just about anything to get the hell out as soon as possible. But if this cilia-covered rescue snakebot squirmed it’s way up my leg, I think the chances of heart failure might need to be factored in. It’s called the Active Scope Camera, and it was conceived by researchers at Japan’s Tohoku University, all of whom are clearly fans of War of the Worlds. It’s a fibre-optic camera wrapped in a layer of tiny cilia bristles, which allow for millipede-like locomotion that’s creepy, creepy, creepy in this video.

With a length of 8 metres, it can dive in with its fibre cam where rescue dogs can’t, leading the way for human rescuers. Look for it slinking around in rubble piles next year. [Nikkei and Tohoku University via Crunchgear]