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Security:
The Actron BadgerTM is a fully operational tracked mobile robot. Each track is equipped with its own suspension system. The robot can move at speeds as high as 5 ft/sec, even while climbing or descending stairs. It can pivot about its center and make sharp, accurate turns. The BadgerTM's dimensions are 18" long, 18" wide, and 12" high. It weighs
30 lbs and is constructed in three major parts: lower chassis, upper chassis, and sensor turret.
Very few drones are built to kill. Even the missile-firing Predator UAV was originally designed for aerial reconnaissance, with some units later modified for combat duty. But for the Israeli-manufactured VIPeR (Versatile, Intelligent, Portable Robot), delivering firepower isn’t an afterthought — it’s practically job one.
Designed to act as a partner to dismounted troops in urban environments, the 9-in.-tall, 25-pound Badger can accept various sensor packages, including infrared cameras and software that maps buildings as the drone moves through them, as well as an explosives sniffer and a device that shoots jets of water to disarm bombs. But it also can open fire with a mini-Uzi submachine gun or release grenades from a 4-ft.-long robotic arm.
At just 18 in. wide, and equipped with innovative treads that change shape to help boost it over obstacles, the tiny drone can navigate cramped hallways and climb stairs to seek out targets. It can’t open fire autonomously, like South Korea’s Intelligent Surveillance & Security Guard Robot, essentially an armed guard tower that can target potential intruders.
Badger is remotely controlled via a harness and helmet-mounted display, with a human operator ultimately deciding whether to pull the trigger. According to its manufacturer, Elbit Systems, VIPeR will be deployed by Israel Defense Forces infantry after field testing.
The Badger can climb stairs (right) and open fire on targets with a submachine gun. At left, the 9-in.-tall drone is fitted with a bomb-disarming water gun.
Bomb Disposal:
The lower chassis contains the robot's propulsion, suspension, and electrical power systems. The upper chassis houses all computer and electronic processing equipment, including user-interface devices. On top is a CCD camera, which can be rotated 90 degrees to each side and 45 degrees up and down; it is used to detect intruders and obstacles. The LED BarfRay lights the way and can disorient and nauseate an intruder.
Robots are an intriguing technology that can straddle both the physical and social world of people. Inspired by animal and human behavior, capable robotic creatures with a living presence are now being developed, so we can gain a better understanding of how humans will interact with this new kind of technology.
People will physically interact with them, communicate with them, understand them, and teach them all in familiar human terms. Ultimately, such robots will possess the social savvy, physical adeptness, and everyday commonsense to partake in people's daily lives in useful and rewarding ways.
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