Posted on: Friday, May 17, 2002

Police show off bomb-buster bots

By Brandon Masuoka
Advertiser Staff Writer

The Mini-Andros robot, the smaller of the two remote-controlled devices recently added to the Honolulu Police Department's bomb squad, demonstrates its capability for retrieving a fake pipe bomb. Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser

It's a dangerous job, but some robot has to do it.

The Honolulu Police Department yesterday unveiled two bomb squad robots designed to perform duties too dangerous for police officers.

Police said the use of bomb squad robots is a growing trend for law enforcement departments, which are turning to the versatile and high-tech gadgets for safety.

In a demonstration yesterday, the wheeled robots — Model F6A and Mini-Andros— dragged a 180-pound mannequin down a sidewalk and grabbed a fake pipe bomb in the parking lot of police headquarters.

Maj. Mike Brede of the Specialized Services Division said the robots could be used for rescues where a "down officer is under heavy fire" and also for bomb recovery and transport.

"This is safer for bomb technicians," Brede said. "They don't have to touch the bombs."

Police said they purchased Mini-Andros for $39,000 and its bigger sibling for $150,000 from Remotec of Oak Ridge, Tenn., this February using emergency money the city made available after Sept. 11. Four bomb technicians and Brede were trained to operate the robots and certified in March.

The battery-powered robots can run off a generator, and can be operated by wireless remote control or by fiber-optic cable, Brede said. Each robot is controlled by a base console the size of a large suitcase that is equipped with a video monitor, joystick, speaker, microphone and other controls.

The robots can be equipped with a chemical reader for use in hazardous-materials situations, and other attachments, such as a camera and a shotgun, Brede said. HPD does not have the shotgun attachment, Brede said.

Brede defended the purchase of two robots instead of one, saying each robot has different strengths. He said Mini-Andros is more maneuverable and can travel in tighter spaces such as airplane aisles. The bigger robot can carry larger payloads and rescue injured people, as demonstrated with the mannequin.

Brede said the robots will not replace bomb technicians and assured the technicians that they're still needed to operate the robots and perform other bomb-related duties. He also said the bomb-sniffing dogs will still be needed in bomb detection.

"I think these robots will help the community and help the police department save lives and make it safer for our officers, too," said Assistant Chief Henry Lau.

Mini-Andros saw its first action on May 10 when someone reported a suspected pipe bomb on the Moanalua Freeway in Kalihi. The robot retrieved the object — a piece of PVC pipe capped at both ends — and put it in a containment vessel. The pipe was later found to be filled with drill bits.

The larger robot has yet to see action.