BU Tech – Converted Vacuum Cleaner Anti-Sniper Robot

IRobot Corp. of Burlington, famous for
its robotic vacuum cleaners, has teamed up with researchers at Boston
University to develop a military robot capable of spotting enemy snipers.

”You’ll actually see the sniper before the smoke disappears from the shot," said
Joe Dyer, iRobot’s executive vice president and general manager.

IRobot demonstrated the system, called REDOWL (for Robot Enhanced Detection
Outpost with Lasers), at the Association of the United States Army convention
in Washington last week. Testers struck pieces of metal to simulate gunshots.
REDOWL quickly aimed its infrared camera and laser rangefinder at the source
of the noise, just as it did in tests at a Medfield gun range.

REDOWL is based on iRobot’s PackBot, a battery-powered lightweight robot
already in active service with the armed forces. PackBots are used to explore
dangerous terrain or enter buildings to search for booby traps.

from the
Boston Globe