Dragon Runner

Dragon Runner spent its summer in Iraq, giving the U.S. Marines the eyes and ears they need to see and hear around corners.

Together with the U.S. Marine Warfighting Laboratory, Carnegie Mellon researchers developed the small, four-wheeled, throwable, remote-controlled robot that can be used for surveillance in urban settings. It can see around corners and deliver real-time imagery to Marines while keeping them out of danger.

Originally designed by Hagen Schempf, a principal research scientist in the Robotics Institute, Dragon Runner is an invertible robot. Toss it out a window, up stairs or over walls, and it will land and go—there’s no right-side up or upside down. Dragon Runner can be deployed in less than three seconds and Marines can guide it using a home-gaming type controller. It monitors areas through on-board motion and audio sensors and transmits information on a four-inch video display.

If testing in Iraq goes well, the Marine Corps may procure the robot and develop it further for military use. Dragon Runner could also be used in civilian applications, like fire fighting. See Dragon Runner in action here.

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Dragon Runner
Marine Warfighting Lab
Hagen Schempf