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Print Edition StoriesWednesday, November 12, 2008
IRobot pulls in $2M from Congress
By Mass High Tech Staff
IRobot family tree
IRobot Corp. has been given $2 million worth of Congressional support to improve development and production of its Warrior 700 robot for combat areas. The iRobot Warrior carries up to 150-pound payloads and covers inaccessible and dangerous areas with sensor readings and real-time video and audio. The robot also features a different center of gravity than previous robots, adding to its mobility, according to iRobot.
Massachusetts senators Ted Kennedy and John Kerry, as well as congressman John Tierney, pushed the defense spending as part of the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009, iRobot officials said.
In October, the Bedford robotics firm landed a $3.8 million research and development contract from the Army’s Tank-Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center for the delivery of two iRobot Warrior 700 platforms.
To date, the company has delivered more than 2,000 PackBot robots to military groups. The PackBot 510 with FastTac Kit is designed to protect soldiers by detecting, identifying and disabling roadside bombs and improvised explosive devices.
IRobot maintains an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity xBot contract with the Army for robot delivery that could reach $286 million. So far, these orders have hit about $67 million.
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