‘Snakebots’ assist Venezuelan earthquake victims

The tool gives responders a look inside spaces people can’t access, to better direct the search for survivors.

By KELLEN STEPLER
TribLive

Beatriz Gonzalez was looking for help.

From her home in Atlanta, she watched with horror as her native country of Venezuela was ripped apart June 24, the nation’s worst earthquake disaster in more than a century. Two strong, back-to-back earthquakes caused thousands of casualties and immense property damage.

Gonzalez turned to the social media platform X and asked its AI tool, Grok, who could help.

That inquiry returned a 2017 Carnegie Mellon University article. It outlined how a CMU-designed snake robot — a “snakebot” — helped search for trapped survivors in a Mexico City apartment building ruined by an earthquake that fall.

“I started digging, and said, ‘OK. Who do I need to get in contact with for this to be leveraged?’ ” Gonzalez said. “I found Professor (Howie) Choset’s email and he answered.

“We talked, and here we are.”

This week, a CMU robotics team led by Choset traveled to Venezuela with their snakebot. They went to work in La Guaira, one of the hardest hit areas, to assist search and rescue crews following the earthquakes.

The snakebots, designed by the CMU biorobotics lab, squeeze into tight spaces. The robot is tethered and controlled by a person like a video game console. A camera is mounted on the front of the robot to give responders a look inside spaces people can’t access, in an effort to better direct the search for survivors.

“This technology is something no team has here,” Gonzalez said. “The ability to see spaces that no one can fit, and even validating no one is there, is a huge value.”

Students Ralph Boirum, Lu Li and Yizhu Gu spent time preparing the snakebots before the team went to Venezuela, Choset said. Darwin Mick and Nico Zevallos have driven and programmed the robots to make them work in the field. Zevallos, fluent in Spanish, was also helpful with crossing the language barrier.

“It’s more than just making robots work. It’s also about relating with people,” Choset said. “I have to stress how real this is. I sat with a woman outside a building not knowing if her husband was alive.”

Snakebots, in addition to urban search-and-rescue, can be used to move through and around pipes, and can help with surveillance of industrial plants. They can also be used for archaeological exploration.

As of Thursday, the team had not found any unaccounted people in the rubble, Choset said. But it can still provide a sense of closure knowing that nothing is there.

The death toll from the earthquakes has reached 2,300, with more than 11,000 injured. Nearly 50,000 people are still un-accounted for.

“We can’t stop crises from occurring,” said Kimberly Elenberg, the principal scientist and operations person on the team. “We’re all people with basic needs, and the community that comes together in crisis brings a ton of hope, not just for the team, but everyone here.”

Elenberg, a former Army nurse, also noted that time is of essence when it comes to recovery efforts after tragedy.

“Over time, the opportunity to save lives decreases,” she said.

Choset said he can’t help but feel inspired through the work.

“The people down here have experienced a loss no one should ever experience,” Choset said. “They are so grateful we’re here, and they’re treating us as if we’re a good friend. They are incredibly gracious and are comforted by us being here.”