The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate’s (S&T) new low-cost device for dismantling dangerous pipe bombs may look like a tinkerer’s project, but that’s no accident. The Semi Autonomous Pipe Bomb End-cap Remover (SAPBER) is unassuming in appearance, but sophisticated enough to preserve the forensic evidence needed to track down the perpetrator.
Thousands of pipe bombs are made each year, and thousands of pipe bomb threats are called into local police and FBI authorities across the country. Many are false alarms, but those that aren’t can be deadly.