Photo By Petty Officer 3rd Class Lauren Booher | VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (June 10, 2015) - Senior Chief Explosive Ordnance Disposal...... read more read more
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va - Students struggled to sit still on the primary colored alphabet rug when they watched the Talon robot work its way across the room carrying a wooden block.
Sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 2 participated in a career event at Emmanuel Lutheran School in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
“I did career day by myself last year and asked if I could do it again this year,” said Senior Chief Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Quinten Nunnery.
He explained that his daughter, a student at the school, had been disappointed when he had brought in a smaller, more easily managed, small unmanned ground vehicle (SUG-V) robot the year before. “I knew that if I didn’t bring in the larger robot this time, I’d never stop hearing about it.”
Nunnery spoke to students, while Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician 1st Class Sean Conley operated the robot. After watching the Talon robot grab blocks with its claw and place them in a container, small groups were allowed to observe Conley use the control unit to move the robot. The control unit had a monitor where students could see from the robot’s point of view and occasionally catch glimpses of themselves recorded from the camera.
“I think it was really great for them to see the robot and the technology aspect of what the robot was seeing on the screen,” said Shannon Tate, the school’s director. “They are so connected to technology these days it was good for them to see it in a job application.”
Students then asked questions about how the robot worked, if it could drive through snow, or lift a tree. One student even asked why it didn’t have hair.
The visit allowed Sailors to show students how technology seen in the mass media is used in the career field.
“They were very interested to see something that seems imaginary in movies in a real life application,” said Tate. “It was something fascinating and got their minds going with all of their imagination.”
“They’re not going to care as much about bomb suits,” agreed Nunnery. “They’re going to get into robots as they get older because that’s something that they are seeing.”
Kindergartners through toddlers were able to get something out of the event and it was a way for students to see something fun that connects with what service members are doing, said Tate.
“It was a good opportunity to present a positive image of the command to the community and educate people on what we do,” said Conley. “The kids were laughing and smiling, I think it went really well.”
There was a lot of laughing; especially when the Talon robot accidentally knocked over the tower of blocks.
While EODMU 2 provides operational explosive ordnance disposal capability as required for the location, identification, rendering safe, recovery, field evaluation and disposal of all explosive ordnance, including chemical and nuclear weapons, they showed the children at Emmanuel Lutheran that moving blocks isn’t just child’s play.
| Date Taken: | 06.10.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 06.12.2015 12:36 |
| Story ID: | 166433 |
| Location: | VIRGINIA BEACH, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 129 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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