Kids were asked to name Camden County’s robot dog. Here’s what they recommended.
Some of the top options so far are Cookie Monster and Bob.
One of the newest recruits to Camden County’s emergency response team isn’t a person or a K-9.
It’s a robot dog, and it’s still waiting on a name. The grant-funded robot joined the Camden County Sheriff’s Emergency Response Team last year. Camden County and Gloucester County’s Office of Emergency Management share custody of the robot.
The robot dog cost $293,300, with 75% coming from a federal grant. The remaining cost was split between Camden and Gloucester Counties, said Dan Keashen, Camden County’s public affairs director.
The robot, remotely controlled with an Android tablet, has helped the emergency response team with more than 20 investigations, Camden County officials said in a statement. The bot has multiple cameras, a two-way microphone, a thermal imaging camera, a portable gas detector, grippers, and lights. In action, those tools help the dog assist with hostage situations, barricades, and identifying hazardous materials, according to the statement.
The robot was manufactured by robotics company Boston Dynamics, owned by Hyundai Motor Group, with some mechanisms added to the machine by RADēCO, an energy and military supplier.
Last month, after Camden County put out a call to its youngest residents, the sheriff’s office received more than 100 name suggestions. The office recently chose their 10 favorites from the bunch.
The final contenders are, in alphabetical order:
Bob
Buster
Chase
Cookie Monster
Debo
Donut
Jersey Joe
Jetson
Rover
Rufus
The sheriff’s office is expected to reveal the dog’s name this week, Callan said.
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