Portal:Robotics/Featured robot/7

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The Foster-Miller TALON™ robot is a small military robot designed for missions ranging from reconnaissance to combat. It is a tracked vehicle said to be one of the fastest robots in the market. It can travel almost anywhere, through sand, snow, underwater (out to depths of 100 feet), climb stairs (a feat for any modern robot) and all the while showing the operator, up to 1,000 m away, the world in color, black and white, infrared, and night vision. It can run off lithium-ion batteries for a maximum of 7 days on standby before needing recharging. It can also withstand repeated decontamination allowing it to work for long periods of time in contaminated areas. It was used in ground zero after the September 11th attacks working for 45 days with many decontaminations without electronic failure. This led to the further development of the HAZMAT Talon.

It weighs less than 100 lb (45 kg) or 60 lb (27 kg) for the Reconnaissance version. Its cargo bay accommodates a variety of sensor payloads. The robot is controlled through a two-way radio or fiber optic line from a portable or wearable Operator Control Unit that provides continuous data and video feedback for precise vehicle positioning.