AUVSI: iRobot Warrior 700 Smashes Through Doors, Delivers PackBots Through Windows
Writing by Evan Ackerman on Friday, 14 of August , 2009 at 12:21 am
iRobot’s new Warrior 700, a much bigger and more capable version of the PackBot, was put through its paces at AUVSI’s unmanned systems demo as part of a mock recon and forced entry scenario. The Warrior 700 can carry a PackBot on its back in a cage attached to an arm. When “standing” on its articulating treads and with the arm extended, the PackBot can (with a little careful positioning) be delivered through a window:
The PackBot, controlled by a second operator, has no trouble surviving a fall of several feet. It then rights itself if necessary and goes exploring, while the Warrior acts as pointbot for a squad of humans:
After I took this picture, the Warrior kinda got a little bit stuck on the threshold of the door, and spent about 5 minutes trying to alter its center of gravity to get moving again… It wasn’t exactly a shock and awe entrance. But, it’s way better to have a robot stumble over an enemy doorway than a human, and maybe while the bad guys inside are trying to figure out just what the heck that robot is doing floundering around by the door, the humans can run around the back and take them by surprise. It was, um, all part of the plan.
Comments (3)
Category: Military
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Comment by Zool
Made Friday, 14 of August , 2009 at 6:32 am
This could be extended, if the 2nd smaller robot carried an even smaller 3rd robot, and so on ever smaller one on top of the other. Its an interesting way to climb stairs … by the time they get to the top, it’ll be a tiny robot, the size of a matchbox, with a little squeaky voice saying, “Drop your weapon. You have 15 seconds to comply!.”
Comment by Evan Ackerman
Made Friday, 14 of August , 2009 at 4:02 pm
Haha, I can totally picture that…
Comment by Dank
Made Tuesday, 15 of September , 2009 at 10:07 am
So,
I love robots and all the potential uses which I think are far greater for consumer and industrial than for military.
But, seriously can one of these warriors take a rifle round without dieing?
