Finland’s first ground-based rescue robot begins field testing

Finland’s first ground-based rescue robot is being tested by the Kymenlaakso Rescue Department, Yle reports. The Laykka robot can inspect dangerous places, such as areas where a gas leak has been detected, reducing the risks to rescue workers.

The robot has been at the department for two weeks as staff learn to operate it and adapt it for rescue work. Sensors and other equipment can be attached depending on the needs of a particular task.

Laykka is controlled with a game controller and does not operate autonomously. During Yle’s interview, rescue worker Tero Piispa drove it using an Xbox controller.

The department plans to include the robot in exercises early next year. If testing goes well, it could be used in its first rescue operations in the spring, development manager Merisade Kuusela said.

The robot is being provided under a leasing agreement running until January 2028, with funding from an EU project. Rescue workers estimated its cost at tens of thousands of euros. Piispa said costs could fall as the technology becomes more common.

Rescue chief Teemu Veneskari said the robot’s design takes account of Finnish terrain, vegetation, soil and weather conditions. He is also working on a doctoral thesis at the National Defence University on how information from rescue robotics can support leadership and decision-making.