October 9, 2017
The BIRD Foundation, a US-Israeli partnership that promotes research and development projects between companies from the two nations, has picked US-based Mantaro Networks Inc. and Beeper Communications Israel to develop unmanned search and rescue technologies that can complement the work of human first responders.
The two companies will use the $900,000 award by the foundation to develop robots as first responders, to fill in the “capability gaps” of humans, based on feedback and information from the US Department of Homeland Security and the National Technology Plan for Emergency Response to Catastrophic Incidents. The project will be funded over an 18-month period.
The project is the result of the BIRD Foundation’s “NextGen First Responders program,” which called for proposals established in partnership with the US Department of Homeland Security and Israel’s Public Security Ministry.
“In an age where man-made and natural disasters have become global phenomena, it is important to integrate the various responders and their agencies, to minimize casualties and damage to infrastructure and private property,” said Moshe Levinson, senior vice president of the Tel Aviv-based communications startup Beeper Communications Israel, in a statement.
Read More: https://www.timesofisrael.com/robots-to-the-rescue-as-joint-us-israel-team-gets-900000-award/