The Wheelbarrow is a remotely controlled robot designed by Lieutenant-Colonel 'Peter' Miller[1] in 1972 for use by British Army bomb disposal teams operating in Northern Ireland (321 EOD), mainland Britain (11 EOD Regiment) and Iraq. The Wheelbarrow has undergone several upgrades, the latest being the Wheelbarrow Revolution. The most notable feature in this model include the 360 degree arm which can be outfitted with various EOD attachments. The Wheelbarrow Revolution is also capable of climbing stairways.
The name came about because the prototype was built out of a wheelbarrow and a lawnmower. Although Colonel Miller was responsible for the early design of the EOD Wheelbarrow up to the Mark 5, the project was then taken over by ‘Lofty’ Pattinson MBE with the assistance of Dennis Fry BEM and Peter J N Smith (who worked with Colonel Miller and "Lofty" with the mechanical and electrical systems build Mark 3 to Mark 8 prototype) then Cyril Luger and Rod Crane progressed the onward design Mark 7 to Mark 8 which took several years. Liaison with the EOD teams in Northern Ireland ensured that the latest innovations were incorporated as time went on and this ensured that lives and property were at minimal risk caused by improvised explosive devices.