Robotic noses could be the future of disaster rescue--if they can outsniff search dogs

As Hurricane Harvey ripped through Texas and neighboring gulf states in August 2017, leaving a record-breaking 30 million gallons of quickly-dirtied water in its wake, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, more commonly known as FEMA, moved into position. Among the personnel from federal agencies as varied as the Department of Health and Human Services and the Coast Guard were numerous Urban Search and Rescue teams--experts in finding people in the midst of a large-scale crisis, whether they're stranded on a roof, or trapped deep beneath the rubble. They're equipped with listening devices, heat detection equipment, and, most importantly, some loyal sniffers. "We use the dogs [as] locating tools," says Scott Mateyaschuk of the New York Police Department's K9 unit. "The dogs will locate live human scent under structural collapse."