Robot Added To Sheriff’s Bomb Squad

The Palm Beach County, Fla., Sheriff's Office bomb squad has purchased a high-end bomb-retrieving robot to replace the squad's existing robot, which was

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Robot Added To Sheriff’s Bomb Squad

Written by American City & County

The Palm Beach County, Fla., Sheriff’s Office bomb squad has purchased a high-end bomb-retrieving robot to replace the squad’s existing robot, which was outdated and is being moved to a different part of the county.

The Sheriff’s Office selected the lightweight TALON robot, produced by Mass.-based Foster-Miller, after examining half a dozen other robot choices. The TALON comes at a price tag of $110,000 plus $230,000 for a bomb containment device.

The rubber-track-footed TALON is capable of moving up to 4 miles per hour, operating quietly and with precision maneuverability.

The robot comes equipped with a double-jointed 64-inch pincer arm capable of picking up and moving explosives. The TALON gives commanders a live view of the bomb incident scene via audio and video transmissions.

The robot’s armor is strong enough to deflect shots from an AK-47 assault rifle, and the robot can be equipped with weapons to fire back at assailants or incapacitate them by releasing gas.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from the Palm Beach Post (11/14/03); Douthat, Bill. shttp://www.palmbeachpost.com

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