French police RAID Team Reveals ReconRobotics Robot Role in Toulouse Counterterrorism Operation
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Official Online Show Daily News Eurosatory 2012 International Land Defence & Security Exhibition Paris, France 11 - 15 June 2012 | |||
ReconRobotics at Eurosatory 2012 | |||
Sunday, June 17, 2012, 06:58 PM | |||
French RAID Team Reveals ReconRobotics' Robot Role in Toulouse Counterterrorism Operation | |||
On March 22, 2012, commandos from the elite French counterterrorism team R.A.I.D. (Recherché Assistance Intervention Dissuasion) killed Mohamed Merah, an Islamic extremist who had shot three French soldiers in addition to three children and a rabbi at a Jewish elementary school in Toulouse. The operation ended a long standoff in which Merah had barricaded himself in his apartment and challenged police to enter. On June 13, a RAID team spokesman revealed for the first time that an innovative micro-robot played a key role in helping resolve the situation. This robot and a new generation Throwbot XT with listening capabilities are being demonstrated to military and police personnel at Eurosatory 2012, being held in Paris today through Friday. | |||
ReconRobotics Recon Scout XT. This is the robot that was used in the RAID Toulouse operation. | |||
What robot did you use in the Toulouse operation? How do you use this robot? Where and when did the Toulouse operation occur? Based on the suspect being awake and engaging with our team, we then decided to shift to a second phase – a barricaded subject operation with heavier materials and negotiation techniques. We adapted to the situation and began using video devices. We deployed 2 Recon Scout robots: one to provide a better view of the closest access point to the suspect and the other one to provide an overall situational awareness before the assault was triggered. The apartment building is a typical French urban multi-story building, and the suspect was located in a 45-square-meter apartment a half floor up from the main entrance. | |||
The latest addition to the ReconRobotics family: The Throwbot XT | |||
At what point did you decide to use the robot? What did you want to find out? Was it dark inside the residence? What did the operator see on the OCU as the robot moved through the environment? Was the robot helpful in planning and executing the subsequent tactical operation? What did you learn about the robot from this experience? Would you recommend the use of the robot for future operations? | |||