PALM BAY, Fla. — It’s National Engineers Week, and the need for them is greater than ever.


What You Need To Know

  • National Engineers week is a way to celebrate engineers and promote the much-needed profession

  • Engineers worked to create T-7, a remote-controlled robot built by L3Harris in Palm Bay

  • The robot helps police and military stay safe in the field

Brevard-based technology company L3Harris is working to protect soldiers and police with a remote-controlled robot called "T-7."

The robot is used for explosive ordnance disposal, hazardous materials cleanup, plus surveillance and SWAT team operations.

At the helm and in control is Vivek Thanabal, who is an L3Harris Senior Specialist in Systems Engineering.

He helped design and build the T-7.

“Any sort of suspicious package, unexploded ordnance, or any sort of IED, you can send the robot into harm’s way, so the person doesn’t have to go into harm’s way,” Thanabal said.

The robot arm can cut wires and take apart an explosive device to render it neutralized. It also has sensors that enable the operator to feel what it’s touching.

“It’s essentially able to extend the ability of the human,” describes Thanabal.

There’s a high demand for engineers like Thanabal, who make lives safer and easier.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, part of the need is due to increasing interest in automation and robotics, like working on the T-7 project.

The bureau says the engineering job market could grow 9% by 2033.

Thanabal loved math and science as a kid, as well as Legos and putting things together.

“Robots are one of the cooler ways we can do those things,” he said.

With the demand, he says young budding engineers can see their future as just that.

Since the T-7 project began five years ago, L3Harris has built 250 robots for the U.S. military and police agencies around the world.