Go Anywhere Search Robot

I had the chance to see a demo of the American Standard Robotics Xtreme VGTV - Variable Geometry Tracked Vehicle.

It is under two feet long and weighs only 15 pounds. It is almost all treads but it comes with a camera and can carry any kind of sensors. The unique part of it is the shape change from flat to triangular tracks to get up over obstacles.


It is waterproof to 100 feet and it looks like it is practically indestructable.

The company was started by a bunch of graduates from University of Southern Florida and their Robot Assisted Search and Rescue Program.
The engineers in the company are also trained firefighters so they know what it takes for effective search and rescue. They were recently featured on CNN and elsewhere for their efforts in finding survivors after Katrina the Hurricane.
Their dedication to the craft certainly shows up in this scrappy little machine.