Bibb County’s Sheriff Deputies Train on Robotic Mobile Target Training System

The sheriff’s deputies at the Bibb County have been training on stationary targets as part of their marksmanship training. They have now decided to create a real-life situation by training on the MT-74 Ranger Mobile Tactical Target System.

The deputies of the SWAT team now practice by simulating intense situations like the ones they face while on duty. They refer to this robot training tool as ‘Mobot’, named after Sheriff Jerry Modena.

The robot is placed on a mobile base on which it travels around the firearms training range of the department by remote control similar to that used for toy planes or cars. The deputies train with Mobot by shooting live rounds with the robot moving around. The mobot is placed alongside a paper target or a mannequin at human height. In one of the training sessions the robot was made to move at a high speed towards a deputy in a zig-zag fashion and the deputy was required to shoot at it. The Mobot is capable of climbing hills and it moves at a speed of 15 mph over a range of 1000 feet. The robot can also shoot paint balls at deputies, thus increasing the pressure on the deputies during training.

The robot comes with additional accessories like permitting the launch of bean bags and rubber bullets by the deputies using Mobot. For using the robot in crime fighting missions, such as unmanned surveillance, the robot can be fitted with cameras and listening devices. Additionally, the robot can be made to carry tear gas or pepper spray. Davis, from the department, said that the robot was bought for 7,800 dollars using the capital investments and has been used by the SWAT team for three months now. He added that the robot protects the deputies from getting hurt. The sheriff’s office intends to use the Mobot for conducting joint training exercises for school system police departments for Bibb and Macon County.