CHANGING THE FACE OF THE FACE OF THE FACE OF WARFARE The desert sun is scorching down the soldiers necks hot Beads of sweat run The soldiers stop along a road outside The soldiers stop along a road outside of the city They are part of a US Army of the city They are part of a US Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal EOD unit Explosive Ordnance Disposal EOD unit They are here to dispose of a roadside bomb They are here to dispose of a roadside bomb planted in the ground If someone were to planted in the ground If someone were to drive by it they could be killed drive by it they could be killed Disarming bombs is a very dangerous job Disarming bombs is a very dangerous job The soldiers stay back a safe distance They send the Talon The Talon is a robot It has A member of an EOD unit observes a Talon IV robot in Iraq in 2010
DESIGNING ROBOTS BOMB DESTRUCTION SPECIALIST In the 1990s the US Army began using robots to get rid of bombs The Talon is one of these robots The Talon IV is the latest model It weighs 168 pounds 76 kg The Talon has brought a new way of thinking about military uses for robots It’s small agile and controlled with a remote The Talon is also very durable One was blown into a river by an explosion It was driven out of the water and reused Another one was damaged and then repaired 13 times cameras sensors and an arm that looks like a claw A soldier picks up a controller that looks like those used for video games He steers the Talon toward the bomb The Talon moves on tracks like a tank Cameras let the operator see the explosive device High overhead a Predator drone is circling Like the Talon this airborne robot is controlled remotely Its cameras watch over the scene At a distant air force base a pilot is steering the
A US Predator drone can fly 135 miles per hour 217 km h Predator remotely He can warn the EOD unit if danger is nearby Military drones can also take photos Back on the ground the Talon operator nudges the remote control In response the Talon carefully places a small plastic explosive on top of the bomb The Talon backs away With everyone at a safe distance a soldier presses a button A loud explosion rips through the air Dirt shoots skyward The mission is a success The plastic explosive blew up the bomb making it harmless
