Robo-partner makes sure NYPD is always well-'armed'

Nice to see all the "bots" being put to good use:

By LEONARD GREENE

It's the long arm of the law. 

Among the New York's Finest who came to the rescue when the car bomb threatened Times Square was a high-tech hero who takes many of the risks and gets none of the rewards. 

But if the bomb squad were to start awarding it medals, the F6A would have them up and down its mechanical arm. 

The robot was working overtime Saturday night when an SUV loaded with explosives was parked in the heart of Times Square. 

After alert street vendors spotted the smoking SUV and courageous cops cleared pedestrians, the mechanical mercenary went into action. 

Christopher Sadowski

FEARLESS: The F6A robot in Times Square.

 

Guided by experts at a remote location, the machine used its arm to break the window of the SUV and remove undetonated bomb components, including gasoline, propane, fireworks and electrical equipment.

The robot, which is mounted on wheels, allows the bomb squad to take critical action from a safe distance.

The flexible device can climb stairs and even slip under certain vehicles. 

This was not its first visit to Times Square. 

In December, a parked van without license plates led police to block off part of the area for about two hours. A police robot examined the vehicle, but only clothes, racks and scarves were found inside. 

The robots are also equipped with an X-ray camera to photograph the insides of packages. They also have a shotgun and a water cannon. 

Police in Pittsburgh used a similar robot yesterday to investigate a suspicious device near the finish line of the Pittsburgh Marathon. Authorities there said the device turned out not to be an explosive.

Article courtesy of the NY Post.