Anti-terror robot prototypes are ready, Army will get chance to test them soon

At the Research 038; Development Establishment R038;DE in Pune, three years have passed since the ROV project began. Now, with two fully functional prototypes ready, the Army will shortly get a chance to put them to the test in urban and semi-urban settings.

The ROV-2, for now, is similar to the Israeli Hornet MK18212;it has infrared sensors, target designators, ability to scale stairs and armour against explosions or bullets. The controller will be a safe half-kilometer away, watching everything his robot sees through a high-resolution video feed.

The current prototypes are built with six-axis arms, fully capable of picking up and handling an improvised explosive device IED or mine of upto 20-kg without detonating it, and proceeding to defuse it. In-built battery packs will allow commanders to use each ROV for just over three hours, the ideal span of any short mission.