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SLAM Helmet Maps Room to Help Rescuers Navigate Through Smoke
Posted by Sean Fallon at 7:50 AM on October 11, 2008
Researchers are using a technique called simultaneous location and mapping (SLAM) to develop helmets that rescue workers can use to navigate through heavy smoke. The helmet features an infrared laser scanner and software that bounces signals off walls and uses that data to create a map of the surrounding area.
The software also filters out variables like swaying and head-bobbing that could confuse the signal. Obviously, this technology is a long way from being implemented in the real world (as you can see from the crude helmet pictured here), but I can see how it could be a big help to rescue workers if some sort of monitor was added to the helmet or it was integrated into a handheld device. [New Scientist]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
nutbastard
Posted 9:23 AM 11/10/08
@Lite:
wasn't talking about fog machine smoke....
nutbastard
tegronin
Posted 9:22 AM 11/10/08
JUST in time for my cold fusion underwear
tegronin
pipper
Posted 9:21 AM 11/10/08
Equip emergency responders with Sharper Image(TM) ionic breeze air purifier. Done!
pipper
Cobol_Mongol
Posted 9:19 AM 11/10/08
SLAM is also currently being employed by a US based company to enable robots navigate through your house and through an agricultural field.
www.visionrobotics.com
Cobol_Mongol
Lite
Posted 9:14 AM 11/10/08
@Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another du...: Bravo.
Lite
Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another dude
Posted 9:13 AM 11/10/08
Old news. I already use the SLAM method when trying to navigate my way through a smoke filled room....
And the bruises are usually gone after a couple of days.
Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another dude
Lite
Posted 9:05 AM 11/10/08
OK, wait, this uses infrared to navigate through smoke? Uhm, isn't that a large part of the spectrum of energy given off by things BURNING? Did I miss something here?
Lite
Lite
Posted 9:03 AM 11/10/08
@nutbastard: Does this go w/ the instant party button, to see your way to the kitchen through the fogmachine smoke?
Lite
nutbastard
Posted 9:02 AM 11/10/08
Frucci needs this for his apartment no doubt...
nutbastard
Lite
Posted 8:57 AM 11/10/08
Why do I suddenly picture this as being marketed by ONYX?
And, if we're talking a smoky room, this would need to overlay into your face mask, not a helmet would it not? The display needs to be in an area not obscurable by smoke.
Lite
johnatthebar
Posted 9:42 AM 11/10/08
@1lolthatsall:
W/E man, bet she's a cool nerd chick. she's cute, can program the VCR and probably has money left in her 401k.
johnatthebar
Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another dude
Posted 9:40 AM 11/10/08
@1lolthatsall: Oh, she's not that bad. Besides it's not like you'll see her face with all the smoke anyways...
Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another dude
shamoononon has a hebetudinous dog
Posted 9:37 AM 11/10/08
@1lolthatsall: You beat me to it!
shamoononon has a hebetudinous dog
johnnyabnormal
Posted 9:34 AM 11/10/08
@Lite: What kind of flowers, sir?
johnnyabnormal
1lolthatsall
Posted 9:32 AM 11/10/08
Sceptical about the helmet, would help a lot if they'd use the "Beautification Engine" to spruce up the chick wearing it. (I went there.)
[gizmodo.com]
1lolthatsall
Lite
Posted 9:25 AM 11/10/08
@nutbastard: Sorry, smoke from the "bic pen flower holder"...
Lite
dinnyin
Posted 9:24 AM 11/10/08
barring that, at least some Proactiv
dinnyin
dinnyin
Posted 9:23 AM 11/10/08
pic could've used a little bit of smoke filling
dinnyin
Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another dude
Posted 10:00 AM 11/10/08
@johnatthebar: Heh.. I bet she doesn't even know what a 401K is.....
But if you said 420 I'm sure her face would light up like the IR laser scanner on that hardhat.
Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another dude
shamoononon has a hebetudinous dog
Posted 9:47 AM 11/10/08
@nutbastard: Tell me about it...
shamoononon has a hebetudinous dog
Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another dude
Posted 10:17 AM 11/10/08
@shamoononon has a hebetudinous dog: That's what I get for shooting from the hip instead of RTFA....
Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another dude
shamoononon has a hebetudinous dog
Posted 10:06 AM 11/10/08
@Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another du...: I think she may be one of the designers but i can't tell. Smart, maybe, cute, not so much.
shamoononon has a hebetudinous dog
anti-hello-kitty
Posted 11:00 AM 11/10/08
@1lolthatsall: I feel bad for her if she's reading this....
anti-hello-kitty
tkohrs2002
Posted 10:50 AM 11/10/08
Two words: Dark Knight
tkohrs2002
Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another dude
Posted 11:41 AM 11/10/08
@anti-hello-kitty: Hey Burcu, if you're reading this I'm sorry...
Jrsy is the dude, playing the dude, disguised as another dude
Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->
Posted 3:37 PM 11/10/08
@tkohrs2002: Kind of makes you look like the Dork Knight.
Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->
tamoko
Posted 12:08 AM 12/10/08
Great idea... it makes sense considering the unknown enviornments that firefighters have to often rush into.
tamoko
psaitta
Posted 5:18 PM 11/10/08
I love how this is thought of as new! Great catch on the monitor addition. It was origanly designed to get firefighters out of buildings. Add GPS for external use, 6 axis gyroscope for inertial guidance and there you have it. Take a look at patents 7389207 and 6898559 both by me and my company. I came up with this over 15 years ago, patent pending 2000 and full patent in 2005.
psaitta
shamoononon has a hebetudinous dog
Posted 6:24 AM 13/10/08
@anti-hello-kitty: Hey, I never said I wasn't a piece of work myself. This is precisely why I haven't invented something really cool...because I don't want people judging my mug. I think she has other more important things to worry about than a bunch of trolls (me included) poking fun at her picture.
shamoononon has a hebetudinous dog