Edina magnetic robot could be used to spy on pirates at sea

Here's a gizmo that Captain Jack Sparrow, or for that matter, any pirate of the medieval days would have loved to have aboard his ship. The folks at ReconRobotics, in association with the US navy, have worked hard to perfect a robot that would scale magnetic flagpoles on ships to spy on suspected pirates.

edina magnetic robot

It makes perfect sense for the Navy to want one of these because, let's face it, you wouldn't make a very good spy if the people you were spying on could see you in broad daylight. So, instead of having a Navy SEAL do the dirty work himself and risk being compromised, he can control the Edina, to move up and down metal surfaces and spy on those pesky pirates. What's more is, having a small, mobile robot like this would allow more useful vantage points where it isn't possible to have a human being playing watchdog.

In addition to this, ReconRobotics have also been working on what they call the "marsupial-robot delivery system", which is essentially a secure container that stores a mobile, remote controlled robot to be ejected into environments that aren't safe for human beings. If you've ever played Metal Gear Solid 4, this will make a whole lot more sense to you. The emphasis of developing such a robot is clear. To preserve human life and put a mechanical device in the face of danger wherever required. Who knows, in a few years time, we might have robots fighting all our wars for us. Intriguing, yet a little scary at the same time.

Via: TwinCities