It’s Robodog! Police pooches are fitted with hi-tech video helmets to wear on their heads to alert officers to dangers up ahead
- Cumbria Police will start equipping jobs with specialised new camera helmets
- It will mean dogs can be sent to locations ahead of officers to check for dangers
- The camera offers a 360-degree view and is positioned on top of the head
They are normally used to hunt down criminals and sniff out drugs. Now police dogs are being issued with new kit to give their handlers live updates on what they can see.
They previously relied on dogs barking and wagging their tails to indicate they had found a criminal or evidence.
But animals working for Cumbria Police’s firearms unit have been given head-mounted video cameras to pass on information.
The kit could give crucial intelligence on whether it is safe for officers to enter a dangerous area.
Animals working for Cumbria Police’s firearms unit have been given head-mounted video cameras
Cumbria officers teamed up with drone manufacturer Heliguy which designed and built the camera helmets
Some dogs take just 30 minutes to get used to wearing the helmet, which is padded for comfort with protective eye lenses
Military special forces around the world already work with dogs wearing helmet cameras, which can cost over £40,000 each.
Cumbria officers teamed up with drone manufacturer Heliguy which designed and built a simpler version.
Dog handler PC Glenn Myerscough said: ‘The camera allows us to work alongside our firearms officers and offers them a real-time commentary of what the dog sees ahead of the team.
‘This allows firearms officers to… safely move forward knowing what they are going to face.’
The helmets, which are padded with foam for comfort, are made of impact-resistant nylon, with protective eye lenses.
On top is a lightweight video camera which transmits high definition footage to the handler’s phone via an app adapted from drone technology.
It contains a fish-eye lens giving an all-round view. Some dogs take just 30 minutes to get used to wearing similar kits, but others may need a week.
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