In this photo, taken by an eyewitness near the house where Tsarnaev was hiding from police, a robot appears to be investigating a car authorities deemed suspicious. The car matches the description of a Honda which authorities were searching for Friday, but that alert was later canceled.
The robot in the photograph seems to match Bedford, Mass.-based iRobot's PackBot, a multi-purpose defense and security robot available in several different configuraitons, including EOD (explosive ordinance disposal):
Charlie Vaida, a spokesperson for iRobot, told Mashable the PackBot was used "by local law enforcement early yesterday to inspect the suspects' car," but he is still working with authorities to confirm any additional involvement. When contacted by telephone, a spokesperson for the Boston Police Department told Mashable to instead direct the question to a BPD email address and await a response, which has not yet arrived.
Thousands of police and military organizations around the world use iRobot robots, Tim Trainer, general manager of the company's defense and security business unit, previously told Mashable.
A photograph from the Associated Press circulating Saturday showed another robot used by law enforcement in Cambridge, Mass. early Friday morning — not in Watertown late Friday night. Additionally, that robot did not appear to have any kind of appendage capable of grabbing or pulling.
Do you think the PackBot was the robot responsible for pulling the tarp? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Post from: Mashable
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