Earthquake rescue robots have experienced their final tests in Beijing. Their designers say with these robots, rescuers will be able to buy more time to save lives during an earthquake.

This robot, looking like a helicopter, is called the detector (探测器) bot. At about 4 metres long, it took about 4 years to develop the model. Its main functions are to collect information from the air, and deliver goods of up to 30 kilos to people trapped by an earthquake.

This robot is equipped with a high 360­degree panoramic (全景的) camera. It can work day and night and also be able to send the latest pictures from the quake area.

Dr Qi Juntong, from Chinese Academy of Sciences, said, “The most important feature of this robot is that it doesn't need distant control. We just set the information on it, and then it takes off, and lands by itself. It flies as high as 3,000 metres, and as fast as 100 kilometres per hour.”

This robot has a different function — it can change as the environment changes. Its main job is to search for any signs of life in places where human rescuers can't go.

The robot is equipped with a camera that can work in the dark, as well as a detector that not only finds people, but can also detect poisonous gas.