A 'gizmo' that saves lives

When Javier Rodriguez Molina visited the Atocha Train Station Memorial in Madrid last summer, the Barcelona native felt a great sadness for the victims of the 11 March 2004 Madrid train bombings. But he also felt some hope that his advanced emergency technology work at University of California, San Diego can some day save lives in similar disasters.

Police, firefighters and other emergency workers responding to natural or manmade disasters may someday save more lives with the help of “Gizmo,” an advanced mobile wireless communications device.

Rodríguez is Gizmo’s lead gadgeteer. He’s an electrical engineering graduate student and programmer analyst at UC San Diego's California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2), one of the most advanced, interdisciplinary research institutes in the world. "Gizmo," which looks like a cross between a remote-controlled toy truck and a lunar landing vehicle, may eventually transform disaster response by collecting and transmitting in real time any information that emergency personnel need via any communications system they're using.

“In almost any emergency, the most important thing is immediate, accurate information,” Rodriguez said. “Gizmo will eventually be able to go anywhere on its own and send back in real time whatever information you might need."

From the Circuits Lab at Calit2, Rodriguez hopes to build many varieties of Gizmos -- even one that flies. The devices could go anywhere that it's too dangerous for humans, including urban emergencies such as hostage situations, terrorist attacks or a building collapse. The current Gizmo is the size of a remote-controlled toy truck. But future models may be alternately much smaller (so they could enter a hostage situation without being detected), or much bigger, such as a full sized truck, which could penetrate disaster situations even in the harshest conditions, such as a hurricane.

"Using technology to try to save lives is the most important thing for me now," Rodriguez said. "I'm taking part in work that can make people more secure by helping police, helping firefighters, helping anybody who is responding to a dangerous situation."

Working under Ramesh Rao, an internationally recognized expert in emergency technology and director of the UC San Diego division of Calit2, Rodriguez is now guiding a team of engineering undergraduates who are building Gizmos, which create their own wireless network bubble wherever they go. One Gizmo can create a wireless network 200 meters in diameter; several working in conjunction can create an exponentially larger network.

The mission of Calit2 is to apply the most advanced technology to real-world problems, and produce solutions that people can actually use. One of the biggest problems for responders in any emergency situation is losing communications with one another and not knowing what's going on inside a dangerous area. So, Rodriguez and his colleagues concentrated on building Gizmo to collect accurate information in emergency situations and transmit it back to responders immediately using whatever communications system is operating.

The data collected by Gizmos can be sent back via wireless network connection to virtually anywhere, whether it's a police command station a block away or a research laboratory on the other side of the world. Gizmos can be controlled by cell phone, laptop or a gaming joystick hooked to a computer. The platform on each Gizmo can be mounted with any kind of device - high definition cameras; super sensitive microphones; sensors that detect dangerous gases, radiation or high heat levels; or a remote controlled arm that can collect samples. Then, that information can be sent to any communications device - cell phones, lap tops, Bluetooth, or whatever type of wireless transmitter emergency personnel are using. If one communications system fails, emergency personnel can switch to another. Like any wireless Internet system, Gizmo can send information through walls or other obstructions.

Another goal for Rodriguez is to make sure that Gizmo is relatively cheap -- under $1,000 - and constructed with many easy-to-replace parts so that they can be mass produced. That way, almost any police, fire and other emergency agencies could buy them off the shelf. If one Gizmo is destroyed in the line of duty, it can be easily replaced.

For now, Gizmos are wheeled vehicles, but Rodriguez and his colleagues already are building one with tank treads so it can go up stairs or over curbs and rocks. The opportunities for Gizmo are immense. Rodriguez envisions using them at delicate archeological ruins, underground cave-ins or even for routine security patrols.

"People see Gizmo and immediately think of a new idea for what it can do," he said. "I'm sure it has important uses that we haven't even thought of yet."

Source: University of California - San Diego

Related stories:

Gadget lovers flip for iPhone 3G but glitches mar release
Gadget lovers around the world on Friday crammed into stores to buy the latest super-fast iPhone G3 only to find activating the coveted devices was hit-or-miss due to Apple computer troubles.
LED Cell Phone Has No Screen
Designer Tao Ma has recently unveiled an LED cell phone concept, where hundreds of LEDs replace the conventional screen. Besides boasting a stylish modern appearance, the LED phone will likely have reduced power consumption, and be quite affordable.
sQuba: World's First Underwater Car
A Swiss company called Rinspeed has recently announced its newest project: an underwater car. Named "sQuba," the car can both drive on roads, and then - at the push of a button - dive up to 10 meters (33 feet) under the sea.
Sport Fans Delight: Logitech Gizmo Allows 4 Television Views, Record & Send
A Sport Fan's device. Logitech will release a new electronic gadget that will allow PC users to watch two sport event. If that isn't enough, by adding another device and using the USB ports, the fan can watch four events simultaneously. Additionally the device allows users to record and send video to mobile devices.
New Nokia N810 Internet Tablet hits store shelves
Nokia announced today that the new Nokia N810 Internet Tablet has begun shipping nationwide in the United States. With a new slide-out keyboard, built-in GPS, digital audio/video playback and Wi-Fi capability for VoIP calling, the Nokia N810 provides the functionality of a traditional computer but all in one sleek, stylish and portable device.
Nokia expands business phone line with stylish new E51
Nokia today bolstered its Nokia Eseries portfolio of business devices with the introduction of the new Nokia E51 device.
Ground gas gizmo boosts brownfield building
An invention from the University of Manchester spin-out company that monitors dangerous methane gas lingering underground could lead to greater development of brownfield sites.
DXG Announces a Cheap Combo Camera
The new DXG-589V is a $199 gizmo for kids that includes a digicam, camcorder, MP3 player, and games.

News discussion:

Technology news