Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are responsible for many of the more than 3,000 deaths and tens of thousands of casualties suffered by U.S. and coalition forces since the invasion of Iraq. As one of the most dangerous tools in the insurgent’s arsenal, countless IEDs have disrupted convoys, destroyed coalition assets, and maimed and killed U.S. Soldiers throughout the campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The fight against IEDs is strengthened through the introduction of the Multi-function Agile Remote Controlled Robot, the MARCbot, a remote inspection platform that allows soldiers to avoid personal physical proximity when evaluating if an object is an improvised explosive device (IED). The small, wheeled robot is equipped with a video camera on an articulated arm and is able to seek out, identify, and confirm possible IEDs while keeping coalition troops at a safe distance.
The MARCbot is a robot that U.S. Army soldiers are currently using to help identify IEDs in Iraq. It was developed by Exponent for the U.S. Army’s Rapid Equipping Force to meet a critical operational need identified during combat operations as observed by Exponent employees in theater. Based upon the first Exponent robots sent to Afghanistan in 2002, the first improved MARCbot IIs for IED sweeps were initially sent to Iraq in May 2004. Spiral improvements were made in direct response to soldier feedback obtained from IED sweep missions, resulting in the current MARCbot IV configuration.