Tiny Robot Carries Big Responsibility in Iraq

US Department of Defense, CAMP VICTORY, Iraq: Technology has always played an important role in the success of the U.S. military, and the introduction of the multi-function agile radio-controlled robot, “MARCBOT,” is one piece of technology helping in the fight against improvised explosive devices in Iraq.  
 
The MARCBOT is a system developed by the Defense Department's Rapid Equipping Force in conjunction with Exponent Inc. which uses a camera attached to a robot with the purpose of seeking out, identifying and confirming possible improvised explosive devices, said Dr. Bill Cohen, engineering and science consultant, Exponent Inc., Menlo Park, Calif.  
 
Cohen works directly with Soldiers to figure out what is the most cost-effective and quickest way to solve any particular problem.  
 
“Anything technical or scientific that the soldiers say they need, any capability gap they need filled or any tools they say they need, I provide them with,” Cohen said. “It turned out that the MARCBOT plays a bigger part in the improvised explosive devices fight than a lot of people had thought.”  
 
Designed to be small enough and mobile enough for a platoon or squad-size element, the MARCBOT was developed and tested in Iraq and therefore has a higher success rate than products that were tested elsewhere, Cohen said.  
 
Testing products in the theater is very beneficial to the testing process in that all factors are considered. If the project is tested in a controlled environment the full effect might not be achieved, Cohen said.  
 
“There have been several cases where we had a suspected improvised explosive device and were not comfortable going up there ourselves,” said 2nd Lt. Brian James Duncan, platoon leader, 2nd Platoon, Company C, 612th Engineer Battalion, Ohio Army National Guard. “If the improvised explosive device is large enough to take out our vehicles, we send the MARCBOT instead, because we don