Thread: UK: Robot recruited in war on illegal immigrants

Robot recruited in war on illegal immigrants
Last Updated: 12:01am BST 20/07/2008

A robot the size of a briefcase is flushing out illegal immigrants trying to smuggle themselves into Britain.

Mind over matter as scientists use brainpower to make wishes come true
Fitted with powerful searchlights and high-resolution video cameras, the robot - codenamed Hero - carries out detailed searches of the undersides of lorries and coaches.

It is also used inside the vehicles as its four-wheel-drive enables it to scramble it over obstacles while looking for concealed people.

The robot can also be fitted with heartbeat detectors as well as sensors to identify chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear materials being smuggled into Britain.

News of the device comes only days after a group of stowaways was found after entering the country hidden on Army vehicles.

The battery-powered robot, which costs about £6,000, was on display at the Farnborough Air Show last week.

It has been adapted by the armaments company BAE Systems from devices used by troops in Afghanistan to search buildings or examine suspected bombs and mines.

British border guards at Calais have tested it and senior officials may now introduce the robot at other ports.

A spokesman for the UK Border Agency said: "Last year over one million lorries were searched and we stopped a record 18,000 people. New technology is crucial in the fight against illegal immigrants."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk:80/earth/mai ... bot120.xml

Where do we get some of those.