How the Robot-Controlled Bomb Worked
Dallas police said they used the department’s “bomb robot” early Friday to kill a suspect in the sniper attacks by detonating an explosive device attached to the robot’s arm.
While the police offered no additional information, the Dallas department apparently repurposed a bomb disposal robot. Such robots are normally used to inspect potentially dangerous crime scenes or pick up suspected explosive devices for detonation or dismantling.
The robots are actually remote-controlled vehicles, often not much bigger than a lawn mower, that are fitted with cameras able to pan and zoom, a microphone and speakers for two-way communication, and an extendible arm that can move in many directions, with a gripper at the end. The Dallas police chief, David Brown, did not describe the bomb that was attached to the robot’s arm or how it was detonated.
The robots usually have articulated wheels or tank tracks that allow them to maneuver over debris, travel up steep inclines, and climb stairs. They can be controlled by a cable or wirelessly, by an operator from a safe distance using a joystick and monitor or, more likely these days, a tablet or other small computer that has a virtual joystick and displays images from the robot’s cameras.
The grippers on some robots can handle delicate tasks, like putting a key in a door lock. The robots can also hold tools like saws, or a small shotgun used to break down doors. Some arms can deliver a fast punch, which is useful for breaking windows.
Dallas officers used several robots in a June 2015 incident in which a man shot at Police Headquarters and planted pipe bombs outside the building. One of the bombs, inside a duffel bag left in a parking lot, exploded as a robot lifted the bag. Another robot was used to approach a parked van occupied by the suspect.
A department spokesman announced in May that its bomb disposal unit had acquired new equipment, including robots.
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