Border Patrol Wants Robots that Can Go Underground and Report Back
A member of the Border Patrol's Border Tunnel Entry Team walks in a tunnel spanning the border between San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico, in San Diego in 2017.
Aaron Boyd By Aaron Boyd,
Senior Editor, Nextgov
June 19, 2019
Homeland Security is looking for innovative robots that can navigate underground tunnels and communicate with headquarters.
Customs and Border Protection uses technology to scan faces, probe vehicles and keep a watchful eye on the border from the skies above. The agency—with help from Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate—also is looking to send robots into underground tunnels and other places where its sensors can’t communicate.
The Science and Technology Directorate released a request for information Monday to get a sense of the market for robotic communications technology. Specifically, the agency is looking for off-the-shelf tech that can capture and transmit data—including photos and video—and map hard to reach places.
https://www.nextgov.com/emerging-tech/2019/06/border-patrol-wants-robots-can-go-underground-and-report-back/157846/
