Method and system for deploying a surveillance network

1. A system for gathering information from within an earth-surface environment, comprising:

at least one mobile robotic device operable on an earth surface of an earth-surface environment, which is configurable into at least one deployment pose and a plurality of traveling poses, the mobile robotic device comprising:

a multi-frame body having multiple single-track units coupled by an active articulating linkage;

a navigation subsystem for selecting the optimum traveling pose for the earth- surface environment;

a sensing subsystem for collecting information from the earth-surface environment; and

a carrier vehicle operable with the mobile robotic device as configured in the at least one deployment pose to facilitate deployment of the mobile robotic device into the earth-surface environment, wherein the mobile robotic device is housed in a projectile deliverable from the carrier vehicle to the earth surface of the earth-surface environment and reconfigurable into one of the plurality of traveling poses so as to enable the mobile robotic device to locate to a first sensing location within the earth-surface environment.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a remote command center operable to receive the information from the at least one mobile robotic device, wherein a network is established between the remote command center and the at least one mobile robotic device operating within the earth-surface environment, and wherein the network may be selectively dismantled by the removal of the at least one mobile robotic device from the earth-surface environment.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of traveling poses includes a tank pose, a train pose, a zig-zag pose, an outside-climbing pose, and an inside climbing pose.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one utility pod deployable by the mobile robotic device at a second covert sensing location within the earth-surface environment and having at least one sensor and at least one communications subsystem for transmitting information.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the at least one utility pod is selected from the group consisting of a sensor pod, a communications relay pod, an explosives pod, an alarm pod, a recording pod, an incapacitating pod, a concealment pod, an effector pod and combinations thereof.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the robotic device comprises a payload bay for stowing one or more of the utility pods.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile robotic device further comprises a communications subsystem for establishing bi-directional communication with a remote location for sharing the collected information.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the communications subsystem of the mobile robotic device further comprises a communications relay between the at least one utility pod and the remote command center.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the carrier vehicle is selected from the group consisting of a ground vehicle, an aircraft, a balloon, a boat, a submarine, and any combination of these.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the projectile is self-powered.

11. The system of claim 1 , further comprising packaging the at least one robotic device as configured within a deployment configuration.