Robots are of great help for the police force to ensure security of the people in different kinds of high-risk situations. Below are a few applications where they are employed to enforce security and they have been known to work quite efficiently in all these areas.
Surveillance: A common application of robots for policing is in surveillance. Cameras and microphones are fixed to various robotic devices, and they are sent to areas and situations where a live police officer cannot enter. Robots are also frequently mounted with night-vision cameras, lending them the capability to relay vision to officers who would not else be able to inspect the site and the situation. Officers can get close to a location without being exposed to any danger.
Hostage situations: In this application, armed robots can enter hostage situations where a police officer cannot. From a safe distance an officer can determine the number of hostages, their precise locations as well as their physical condition. He or she can also speak with the hostages and their captors by way of audio devices attached to the robot. If the hostages require supplies such as food, water or clothes, it is a lot safer for a robot to carry these goods instead of a live person.
Bomb threats: This is one area that presents real and direct threat to police officers. One incorrect move can mean death for sure, not only for the officer involved but also for the people in the vicinity. In such circumstances, robots substitute an officer to find and defuse a bomb. To accomplish this, a robot is fitted with cameras and microphones. This enables police officers to monitor the site and search for the bomb from some distance. The cameras allow the police officer to see the exact location from all angles and the microphones help pick up any sounds.
The officer at the control station operates a gadget that maneuvers the robotic arms. By examining the view transmitted from the robot's cameras on a computer screen, the controlling officer moves the robotic arms appropriately to connect with the bomb or the package. The robot then defuses the bomb or picks it up and takes it to a remote place where it can then be safely detonated. Alternatively, the robot can put the bomb in a special kind of container that is designed and manufactured to bear a bomb blast.
Other than the abovementioned applications there are other ways robots can be used in police work, such as frisking people and detecting chemical weapons. Robots may be expensive to build and costly to lose, but not as valuable as the human lives that they can help save.
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