Robots Play New Airport Security Role – More Come to Atlanta Facility
Hartsfield-Jackson
International Airport in Atlanta has amassed a small collection of
bomb-disposal robots and later this year will add a fifth one capable of
maneuvering narrow airplane aisles and checking for explosives under seats and
in overhead bins. The airport is buying the $300,000 robot using federal Homeland
Security funding secured through a grant from the Georgia Emergency Management
Agency and expects to receive the machine this fall. The API Technologies
teleMAX will be the most valuable robot used by the bomb squad at
Hartsfield-Jackson. The airport bought its first robot before the 1996 Atlanta
Olympics and has agreements for other squads to share use of the robots. Most
of the robots have arms to retrieve suspected explosive devices and place them
in a bomb containment vessel, where the blast can be controlled. Some robots
have fewer capabilities, but are small enough to get into tighter areas. One
mini-robot is used at the airport mainly for surveillance under cars and in
other confined areas.
