Stealthy, Small Robot Tracks Enemy Day or Night

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By Robert H. Williams

A tiny, mobile surveillance robot that can be thrown through windows or over walls has been outfitted with infrared sensors so that it can spot bad guys in the dark. The Recon Scout IR — produced by ReconRobotics Inc. of Edina, Minn. — gathers critical intelligence before soldiers or cops are committed.

In tactical situations, SWAT teams send the robot in to determine the location of suspects and the layout of rooms, identify weapons the suspects might have and gain knowledge about the number, condition and locations of hostages. Armed with this information, tactical teams can plan with greater confidence and mitigate risks to personnel and to hostages, says a spokesman.

The robot is 7.4 inches wide and weighs 1.2 pounds. A black matte finish makes it nearly invisible in the dark and it operates at no more than 20 decibels, which is little more than a whisper, the spokesman says. In the open the robot can transmit real-time video more than 300 feet and in buildings, operators can receive images from as far away as 100 feet.

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