 They look like toy trucks on steroids, but these Gizmos are anything but playthings. In January, two of the robots roamed through the “hot zone” of a mock terror attack during Operation Silver Bullet, a San Diego County disaster drill, relaying data and video surveillance back to the incident command center. Developed
by researchers in UC San Diego’s division of the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2), the devices carry wireless networking equipment to extend connectivity in areas where standard communications lines may be down, and have cameras to relay video from a scene. Gizmos can also be networked together to allow them to
perform tasks collaboratively.
 Typically less than two feet long and 14 inches high, Gizmos can also be outfitted with environmental sensors capable of sniffing out dangerous toxins, and Calit2’s Circuits Lab has already been testing a version they call “Wi-Fli”—a flying wing that can circle a disaster scene from the
air and relay surveillance video.
What’s next? Gizmo the transformer?
Contributors to Making Waves: Mario Aguilera, '89, Rex Graham, Raymond Hardie, Robert Monroe, Neda Oreizy, '08, Doug Ramsey
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