Marine Corps Deploys Robot for Underwater EOD.

• Position: News Briefs

* An unmanned system is giving the Marine Corps eyes and arms to neutralize explosive threats underwater.

In September, Marine Corps Systems Command began fielding an explosive ordnance disposal remotely operated vehicle--a box-shaped robot that allows Marines to identify and neutralize explosive threats from a distance.

Designed by Strategic Robotic Systems Fusion of Redmond, Washington, the system is outfitted with high-definition video capabilities and an articulator arm, which decreases the risks posed during complex and tiring underwater operations, said Master Sgt. Matthew Jackson, a staff non-commissioned officer in charge of the 1st EOD Company's Littoral Explosive Ordnance Neutralization section.

"There's everything from hazards, dangers from currents, water temperature--[the platform] mitigates all this by being a robotic system that doesn't get hungry, doesn't get tired," Jackson said in an interview. "All you have to do is put batteries in it and then you can keep the man away from the minefield."

The robot can swim to depths of up to 1,000 feet and is equipped with both sound navigation and sonar sensors for increased situational awareness in low visibility underwater environments, he said.

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