US Army steps up robot investments

Robotics manufacturer iRobot, which produces some of the machines used on a daily basis in Iraq and Afghanistan, has reached a further funding agreement with the US Army worth $6m.

This latest award, from Boeing and Science Applications International Corporation, will accelerate the delivery of 25 Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle (SUGV) robots.

IRobot's Future Combat Systems contract with the US Army now totals approximately $63m.

The SUGVs are modelled after Boeing's PackBot, which is used in Iraq and Afghanistan to disarm explosive devices and search for hostile forces.

The robots feature a rugged lightweight body enabling a single soldier to carry and deploy the device quickly.

It is designed to enter secure areas which are either inaccessible or extremely risky for soldiers, and provide real-time intelligence while allowing the humans to maintain a safe distance from the enemy.

The images and information gained by the SUGV can rapidly be made available to human fighters via the Future Combat Systems network.

IRobot has delivered more than 1,400 PackBots to a broad range of military and civilian customers worldwide.

The company will help keep human fighters out of harm's way, according to Helen Greiner, co-founder and chairman of iRobot.

See also:

Boffins point the way to command robots

Devices can fetch items indicated with laser pointer  20 Mar 2008

Boffins to build robotic spy-bat

Flying surveillance device mimics bats' echolocation sense  19 Mar 2008

I Robot, you SME

EU project designs robots for small firms  03 Mar 2008

PC World looks for director of robotics

Must like transistors  29 Feb 2008

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