Brunswick to acquire robot for police, fire departments
The town obtained the device at no cost.
Courtesy of Scott Stewart
Brunswick’s police and fire departments are getting a new robot.
Monday, the Brunswick Town Council unanimously voted to accept the machine, with an estimated value of $78,000.
According to a memo from Police Chief Scott Stewart, the device, a 510 Packbot Fastac, has no weapons attached, weighs 33 pounds, can climb stairs and open doors, has a camera and 10 hours of battery life.
The device has a range of 1,100 yards and is controlled by a video game controller.
“First, I want to say no guns, no laser beams associated with this,” Town Manager John Eldridge told the council. “This is a robotic device that would be used by police and fire in situations in which it may not be safe to send a police officer or firefighter.”