Niagara introduces new EOD robot

Published March 4, 2013
By Tech. Sgt. Andrew Caya
914th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

NIAGARA FALLS AIR RESERVE STATION, N.Y. -- Airmen of the 914th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight recently introduced their new Air Force Medium-Sized Robot at the 2013 Finger Lakes Regional Robotics Competition at the Rochester Institute of Technology, February 28-March 2.

EOD executed several demonstrations for the students, which included a display of the maneuverability of the unit as a whole, the agility of the robot's claw and spoke about the explosive ordnance disposal mission of the U.S. Air Force.

"It was pretty cool," said 914th EOD Technician Tech. Sgt. Kyle Spaulding. "They were very knowledgeable kids."

The AFMSR boasts many updated features including improved optics and a more portable all-inclusive control unit with monitoring system that displays clearer quality images.

"The robots are getting better," said 914th EOD Technician Tech. Sgt. Garth Muenter. "You can do your recon with them and see what the potential threat is before you put yourself in harm's way."

"The newer technology brings along ease of use and more options that we can do with the robot," said Spaulding.