# 207. Meet The Life-saving Snake Robot

- Show: [The Next Byte Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast)
- Published: 2025-01-21
- Length: 18m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2025-01-21-207-meet-the-life-saving-snake-robot
- Listen: https://the-next-byte-wevolver.simplecast.com/episodes/207-meet-the-life-saving-snake-robot-MWIfFaLf

## Summary

The hosts discuss Roboa, an expandable pneumatic snake robot developed by the Autonomous Laboratory at ETH Zurich for search and rescue and industrial inspection. They detail its soft, fabric-based design that expands up to 100 meters using compressed air, allowing it to navigate tight rubble spaces without sparking, making it safe for natural gas pipelines. The team is now commercializing the technology, which can deliver supplies to trapped victims and perform non-destructive inspections.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2025-01-21-207-meet-the-life-saving-snake-robot#t=0) Introduction and Sponsor Read
- [3:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2025-01-21-207-meet-the-life-saving-snake-robot#t=189) Roboa Design and Pneumatic Actuation
- [6:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2025-01-21-207-meet-the-life-saving-snake-robot#t=402) Search and Rescue Applications
- [10:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2025-01-21-207-meet-the-life-saving-snake-robot#t=644) Industrial Inspection and Safety
- [14:54](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2025-01-21-207-meet-the-life-saving-snake-robot#t=894) Commercialization and Future Outlook

## Topics

- [Robotics & autonomy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/robotics-and-autonomy)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Roboa (product)
- ETH Zurich (company)
- Da Vinci (product)
- Mouser Electronics (company)
- Carnegie Mellon (company)
- Johns Hopkins (company)
- NASA JPL (company)

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- [Ep085: Cable Robots Two-Ways, Cubic Raspberry Pi, Plastic Wrap Kayak, and Digging Inductors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2020-09-18-ep085-cable-robots-two-ways-cubic-raspberry-pi-plastic-wrap-kayak-and-digging-in) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [Episode 156: Rugged robots for dangerous missions - Gavin Kenneally](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-05-15-episode-156-rugged-robots-for-dangerous-missions-gavin-kenneally) (Robot Talk)
- [Episode 113: Soft robotic hands - Kaspar Althoefer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2025-03-14-episode-113-soft-robotic-hands-kaspar-althoefer) (Robot Talk)
- [Episode Forty-Five: Francesco Giorgio-Serchi](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2023-04-21-episode-forty-five-francesco-giorgio-serchi) (Robot Talk)

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