14 DAY TRIAL // You've probably never thought that termites or other insects can be detected by a robot. But Australian based Termicam found a way to make this scenario possible. The company searched for other methods than tapping walls with objects or even breaking the walls when it comes to destroying insects.
Thermal imaging techniques proved more effective because they could assist human operators in going "where no human has gone before": inside insect nests. Their solution is Termibot, a dual-tread thermal imaging robot that scouts inside walls and under houses transferring information from its thermal camera and moisture sensors back to a human operator. Here's how it works: Termibot comes with a video camera plus a built-in flashlight, being manipulated by an operator. It will detect the moisture signature of a nest, displaying the data on two LCD screens. Then, it uses a probe to break open the termite hotspot, exposing it and video recording the creatures as they materialize to repair the breach. Finally, the operator comes in and kills off the insects by blasting them with pesticides.
"It's basically a remote controlled robot that can fit into confined spaces", says Termicam's creator, David Rice. "It's currently controlled via a long cable, but we'll have it fully remote once we've finished further testing".
Termicam also mentioned that they're looking to use the robot for other applications that need a thermal camera. It will probably act like the Packbot SUGV (Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle), the reconnaissance robot that is used by the US army in bomb disposal and rescue operations.
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