It’s no Roomba, but we owe the
Recon Scout Throwbot
a debt of gratitude for fearlessly leading our troops into volatile
situations. The 8” long, 1.2 pound Throwbot resembles a dumbbell with
its cylindrical body and rounded ends, and that simple design holds a
very specific purpose. The Throwbot can take a fall from 30 feet and
immediately roll into action without sustaining any damage from the
impact.
Until
now, the Throwbot has primarily been a military tool, and using it in
the US presents a problem of radio signals and FCC regulations. The FCC
has granted local law enforcement use of the 430-448MHz spectrum for the
Recon Scout, upsetting the American Radio Relay League in the process.
The Throwbot may be out in the field leading SWAT teams into firefights,
but it will be interfering with commonly used radio frequencies, too.
The American Radio Relay League argues that the Throwbot doesn’t deserve a permanent waiver from the FCC:
"The
Petitioner asserts, without establishing, that there is a market for
these devices for public safety and anti-terrorism efforts," ARRL wrote.
"Merely by suggesting that these devices may be potentially useful in
this context does not establish that a permanent waiver for the devices
will be in the public interest. Most importantly, it is not
satisfactorily established why alternatives are inadequate."
Despite
their concerns, the ARRL can still operate on other portions of the
420-450MHz spectrum. And given the Throwbot’s slow domestic rollout--the
FCC is limiting sales to 2000 units in 2011 and 8000 units in
2012--moments of interference should be few and far between. The FCC
also mandated that the Throwbot steer clear of several military bases
with radar facilities to avoid any major interference problems.
The
lucky law enforcement agencies that get ahold of a Throwbot have quite a
device to look forward to. The Recon Scout beams live video to a
command center 1000 feet away, and a smart tail design keeps the
Throwbot’s center-mounted camera upright at all times. Plus, you can
throw it through windows. How cool is that?
