OFRO - First outdoor security patrol robot
OFRO is not only the first mobile security robot worldwide used for outdoor surveillance, it also has the honour of being one of the first robots used to patrol the stadium in the World Cup. The picture to the right is of the OFRO being used in the Olympic stadium in Berlin. In that particular World Cup event, the OFRO is used alongside of another robot, the MOSRO, and both these models of surveillance robots are developed by the Berlin company Robowatch.
The OFRO can perform many functions. It is able to make use of thermal cameras to identify and locate intruders at night or at any places where visibility is low, according to their body heat. The OFRO can also be used for a wide variety of other reasons such as in the military as a scout and to detect radiation, toxins, viruses and chemical warfare agents. It is also very flexible being very much weather-proof and mobile so it is suitable to be dispatched either indoors or outdoors. It is also suitable to be used in hazard zones such as in the chemical industry or in explosive areas.
In the World Cup, the OFRO got navigation help from the Global Positioning System satellites and send pictures back to a central room in the stadium called the skybox. Through remote control, the OFRO can also be sent to check on anything suspicious.
In general, the sensor head of the OFRO is able to rotate 360° automatically with integrated thermo camera. It also has two ultrasound distance sensors, GSM module and WLAN built in. With highly sensitive sensor technology, it is able to identify intruders and react quickly. Timely action can be taken in terms of activation by a wireless signal from the OFRO.
http://www.virtualworldlets.net/Archive/IndividualNews.php?News=1311
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13485246/
Goh Pei Ming
U049117N
