This article was taken from the September 2011 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
This 60cm sphere of polycarbonate is the latest in surveillance technology. The remote-controlled GroundBot, designed by Swedish firm Rotundus, can trundle through snow, mud and sand as it supplies a live feed via a pair of cameras. Its operator sees the image in 3D on a screen.
The GroundBot is steered via a pendulum housed inside a hollow sphere, which swings outwards on its axle, pushing the robot in the desired direction. A cluster of accelerometers, gyros, GPS and a magnetometer keeps the GroundBot on track as it rolls along at speeds of up to 10kph. But this isn't just a moving camera. "Future developments include the GroundBot recognizing objects and reporting obstacles it encounters to an operator," says Rotundus CEO Johan Bäcke.
The GroundBot is undergoing trials with Saab and the Swedish Defence Forces; if successful, it could be, um, rolled out and put to use in airports and other locations in need of surveillance. And then the snoozing security guard might be consigned to history.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
