Russian Manufacturers Launch Robotic Minesweeper

Moscow News ^ | 05.11.2004 | na

[Flavius]

ussian manufacturers have begun mass production of robotic minesweepers that can neutralize explosives without human contact.

The mine-clearing robot — more formally known as the Varan robotic technical system — is the brainchild of designers at the Bauman Moscow State Technical University and the Kovrov special design bureau, Vladimir Lebedev, director general of the enterprise, told the Itar-Tass news agency.

Designed to search for and destroy explosive devices, the remotely controlled electronic all-terrain mine-clearing machine is also equipped with a water cannon.

Varan has already won high acclaim from specialists. It has been to many specialist exhibitions in Moscow and abroad, and orders started pouring in immediately.

There is interest in Varan, as well as in the more advanced “intelligent” TM-3 system, among special services dealing with explosives not only in Russia and the CIS countries but also from many countries further afield.

[Flavius]

[GSlob]

Let me guess: mean time between failures 20 minutes, spare parts unavailable, picks only every other bomb...

[Flavius]

We need to build something like thousand of those but really mobile and send them into fortified areas...

They wont all be shot by would provide great data for incoming artillery and air bombardment...

Future is the robots...

Go termie go...

[Professional Engineer]

Radio control treadhead!

[GSlob]

The much cheaper solution would be to place (robotically or even manually, using devices like long fishing poles) small 0.5-1 ounce explosive charges on or near anything suspicious and then blow it. If it is the bomb - the bomb will go off. If not- the destruction from 0.5oz of HE is minimal. One could also use high power rifles/small cannons with special ammo and shoot everything up, but it would be more expensive. A robot to disarm a bomb would have to be especially dexterous, thus $$$ and low reliability.

[Wiz]

Congratulations, your concerns have been relieved. Our superior US Armed Force already have those. They are called PackBots from iRobot, a mobile equipment that will do the same job.

PackBot Explorer



Our country is much more advanced than Russia.