Saving Lives

Improvised Explosive Devices are the biggest killers of U.S. troops in Iraq ... and one of the biggest killer of IEDs is Foster-Miller's Talon robot.

"It's an excellent robot, and I would rate it as being the best one in theater," ordnance disposal Airman Robert Wester told an Air Force reporter. But how does the Talon compare to other robots -- say, the bestselling iRobot?

Vishkhapatnam, April 23: Students of St. Teresa Engineering College here have developed a robot that can detect and diffuse land mines.

Operated through a laptop, the robot can work upto a range of 100 kilometers. It can also be operated through a high-end mobile phone within a range of 100 feet.

The military -- increasing its reliance on robots in war -- soon will use explosive-sniffing versions to better detect roadside bombs accounting for more than 70 percent of the U.S. casualties in Iraq.

As more of our soldiers from the Third Infantry Division head over to Iraq, the technology helping them in that fight is always improving.

It sounds like science fiction, but robots on the battlefield are reality.

Watching some high-tech robots showing off at Fort Benning makes soldiers preparing to deploy feel a little better.