In most working worlds, the idea of a robot replacing a human is a terrifying prospect. Not so in the armed forces. One more bundle of remote-controlled wiring and circuitry on the battlefield means one less life put in harm’s way. This is especially true for covert ops, where the tiniest slip-up can mean a very, very bad day.

Enter the snakebot, a six-foot snake-like robot made up of jointed polymer segments. It’s equipped with a set of laser-radar cameras that offer a 360-degree 3D view of its surroundings. The gathered data is then used by the snakebot to not only assess where threats are, but also determine their sight line. A set of four built-in directional microphones help with this as well, allowing the robot to get a read on where a threat is coming from and how fast it’s approaching.

This isn’t a consumer item that you’ll be able to buy, but for all you know there are a half-dozen snakebots slithering around and keeping tabs on you RIGHT NOW.