Unmanned Chopper Finds Improvised Explosive Devises

 

The U.S. military is testing an unmanned helicopter that can detect electromagnetic emissions from Improvised Explosive Devises (IEDs). Roadside bombs have long represented the greatest killer of soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, but there's hope beyond the sturdy little demolition bots that already work with their human handlers. The Pentagon now has two aerial drones on the testing docket as possible countermeasures for IEDs.

The Air Force Research Laboratory assigned their new copter the name "Yellow Jacket," and gave it special anti-IED instruments that include an "unintentional electromagnetic emissions" sensor. Aviation Week reports that private contractor CenTauri Solutions received $11.7 million to carry out its Yellow Jacket demonstration, using a Scheibel S-100 Camcopter.

Learn more at the Popular Science website.

---