Much like the United States, Britain has a bit of an illegal immigration problem. Tens of thousands risk their lives to cross into Britain each year by clinging underneath trucks transported on ferries. To combat this problem, BAE systems has provided the border agency with a robot dubbed "Hero" that is capable of ferreting out these stowaways using a combination of cameras and sensors. The device can check underneath vehicles and even detect heartbeats when fitted with the proper equipment. It can also be used to identify chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear materials being smuggled into the country.

Some of you may be wondering when the US going to get something like the Hero robot. Interestingly enough, the military has been testing a similar robot called Odis in Iraq and Afghanistan for some time now—but whether we will see one patrolling our borders in the States anytime soon remains to be seen. [BAE via Telegraph via Danger Room]

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