The 2014 World Cup is set to kick off on Thursday, June 12th in Brazil, and fans who are journeying to the tournament might not be prepared for what they will see: PackBots.
The Brazilian government has struck a $7.2 million deal with the creators of PackBot for 30 of the robots. Originally created for combat, PackBots first saw action in Afghanistan in 2002. Since then, PackBots have been used alongside soldiers to help clear rooms, caves, bunkers, and collapsed buildings, as well as survey anti-personnel mine fields.
The PackBots will be posted throughout Brazil’s twelve host cities in an effort to boost security and inspect any objects that seem suspicious.
Usually reserved for military purposes, the World Cup will offer the rare chance for people to see how far robotics have come in recent years.
Via: Smithsonian National Museum of American History