Military Roomba Cleans Land Mines With Explosions

Like its domestic ancestor, iRobot’s new military robot is also a cleaning machine. But instead of dust devils, this one cleans land mines and barbwire obstacles. It works using the Mk7 Anti-personnel Obstacle Breaching System. Not subtle, but extremely effective.

The robot – called Warrior – is like a light version of the British Python and the American M58 Mine Clearing Line Charge.

First, the soldiers remotely drive the robot close to the field that needs to be crossed. Then, Warrior fires the APOBS, a rocket that tows a line of fragmentation grenade 45m long across the air. Once the line is deployed on the ground, the grenades explode, taking with them any hidden land mines or improvised explosive devices. The result is a clear, secure path for infantry and vehicles. [IEEE]