Sparkling tech showcased at Rio Olympics (6)

Robot cops

The Brazilian government has contracted iRobot, makers of both circular vacuum-bots like the Roomba and military/rescue tools, to provide iRobot 510 PackBots for the Rio Games. The 510 PackBots were used during the construction of the Olympic stadiums to make sure no explosives were being planted during this messy phase; they have also been used to clear routes. In fact, the responsibilities of PackBots at the Games are not dissimilar from what they do in the military. Over 5,000 have been deployed worldwide for military purposes, including use in Afghanistan by the U.S. military.