On the Job: get ready for RIMPAC 2020 with a flashback to EOD robot training from RIMPAC 2018
Video / August 14, 2020
Transcript
(Shelley) I went to Hawaii for Exercise RIMPAC where IED (Improvised Explosive Device) Operators from Fleet Diving Units Atlantic and Pacific gave me a crash course in one of their most important pieces of equipment:
A robot named tEODor.
tEODor stands for Telerob Explosive Ordinance Disposal and Observation Robot, but that’s just a fancy way of saying: a robot used to investigate suspicious items. Mainly explosives.
I drove the robot down the jetty - the walkway leading out into the water - investigating for any suspicious items along the way.
Typically, this is what trained IED Operators do to check for explosives and ensure it’s safe for ships to pass by.
So I’m driving this robot, spinning it ‘round and ‘round, and switching between the different camera angles.
It’s pretty incredible all the things you can do with it. It’s even got this mechanical arm to grab things with.
I have to say, the real operators from the Fleet Diving Units were great teachers. I was able to pick up on the controls pretty quickly with all their help.