Hennepin Co. Sheriff's Office receives grant for underwater robot
The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office received a $145,000 federal grant to buy an underwater, remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to help rescue and recover drowning victims, the Associated Press reports.
The funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency will also cover dive-team training and equipment.
The device would be used in murky or deep-water recoveries like Lake Minnetonka where depths can reach 100 feet, the news service says.
Diving in zero-visibility can be dangerous for divers, the Star Tribune says. The device will can be used to scope out potential finds with the help of a camera, lights and a robotic arm. The ROV could also cut a dive team's recovery time in half.
The Ramsey County Sheriff's Office began using a similar device in 2010. KARE 11 shows how that device works:
