A robot for disposal of hazardous ordnance, such as IEDs. The robot has a pair of opposed grippers extending outwardly in the longitudinal direction to respective distal ends. The grippers are mutually openable and closable to grasp the ordnance. As the grippers open and close they automatically move aft and fore, respectively. The robot has a single camera but no depth vision in the longitudinal direction. A sensor is mounted on the opposed grippers to determine the separation distance between the sensors as they open and close in real time. The lateral separation distance is automatically converted a to a longitudinal distance from the ordnance by the relationship between the lateral separation distances and the longitudinal advance of the grippers upon closing.