Today the British Ministry of Defense unveiled a new bomb disposal robot called a “Dragon Runner” that breaks new ground in portability – the system is a mere 14 pounds and small enough to fit in a backpack. Despite its small size, however, it sounds remarkably capable:
The sophisticated robot is manoeuvred over tough terrain using an intuitive controller, not unlike to a games console. It can climb stairs and even open doors.
The dragon has four on board cameras that relay images back to the operator via the hand held controller. Each shot can be viewed on screen separately or all four at once in a grid.
It is fitted with a manipulator arm that can dig around suspicious objects and lift items that weigh up to 10lb. It can also place small charges that work to disrupt suspect devices.
Manufacturer QuinetiQ has built about 100 of the robots to date, which will be used by a “number” of British regiments.