An MIT alumnus has produced a throwable tactical camera encased in a rubber sphere that could change the way police forces operate in dangerous situations.

The tactical camera is manufactured by Bounce IMagine, and soon cops will be using it to take a look at areas that they can’t see into normally, which could be a huge boon to them in a potentially deadly situations, according to an MIT News report.

Because police are often in the situation where they have to invade an area that could have dangerous people lurking within waiting to ambush them, these tactical cameras could prevent that sort of confrontation from ever happening.

It’s a small sphere, about the size of a softball, making it easy for cops to throw them into a room. It is encased in a hard rubber shell that protects the sex camera lenses positioned inside. The camera is capable of snapping photos from each lens several times a second, and then stitching together those images and uploading them to a mobile device instantly.

And the applications go beyond law enforcement situations. These balls could also be used by first responders, such as in cases where a building has collapsed and there are survivors trapped in spaces that are virtually impossible to reach by a human.

Bounce Imaging is producing these tactical spheres with the intent of having cops and first responders use them in hazardous areas because of its ability not only to get into those spaces, but to instantly beam back images to a smartphone.

The project began back in 2012 at MIT by an alumnus, and just three years later, 100 of these “Explorers” will be headed for police departments nationwide. If all goes well, first responders and other clients may be able to get their hands on these tools.