If you live in an area with regular earthquakes, you probably already know that it is important to keep the foundation of the structures in that area free from damage. Since checking the structural support of buildings can be a difficult task, electronics manufacturer Sanyo has developed a small tank-like robot which can travel underneath buildings to check for any cracks or signs of possible deterioration from a building's foundations.

The robot can travel for two hours when fully charged and has a video camera which transmits everything it sees to the controller. The camera itself is pretty nifty and allows the user to zoom in on areas that deserve more attention. In addition to this, it also has built-in sensors that allow it to avoid any object that would block its path when on patrol.

This new device from Sanyo is expected to be available by next year with a price that could reach up to ¥ 1,000,000 (about US$ 8,736). While this gadget won't be for everybody, engineers assigned to building maintenance will probably want to consider adding this to their set of tools.