Throwable military robots sent to assist with Florida condo collapse
Innovations
Throwable military robots sent to assist with Florida condo collapse
Lightweight, throwable machines are surveillance tools capable of searching through rubble, company says.
Teledyne Flir's 5-pound FirstLook Robot. (Teledyne Flir)
By Dalvin Brown
June 30, 2021 at 6:00 a.m. EDT
First responders on the ground at the Miami Beach-area condo that partially collapsed last week have used several tech tools to aid the treacherous search-and-rescue effort.
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The Miami-Dade Fire Department has at least two robots in its arsenal that the Massachusetts-based robotics company Teledyne Flir overnighted to assist with the Surfside, Fla., rescue effort. The gadgets are designed to operate where it is nearly impossible for humans to go.
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Teledyne Flirs machines have some features that could come in handy as rescuers search through a mound of collapsed concrete. One of its microrobots can be tossed onto unstable rubble and will then roll into crevices humans cannot see or fit into. The company also sent a 50-pound automated machine with an arm to pick up and move around objects.
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Teledyne Flir's robot is used by the U.S. Army. (Teledyne Flir)
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By Dalvin Brown
Dalvin Brown is the Innovations reporter for The Washington Post's Financial section. Twitter
https://twitter.com/Dalvin_Brown