iRobot Wins U.S Navy Robot Upgrade Contract

The U.S Navy has awarded a $7.7 million contract to iRobot Corp. (IRBT) for robot upgrades. The order calls for iRobot Aware 2 software upgrades and the delivery of advanced sensor suites for 248 fielded Man Transportable Robotic System (MTRS) MK 1 MOD 1 robots. MTRS MK 1 MOD 1 is modeled after the iRobot 510 PackBot. The company expects to complete these deliveries by November 2012. Sensor suites include the iWARVVS (iRobot Wide-Angle Robot Vehicle Vision System) camera, thermal camera and iRobot’s User Assist Package (UAP). The cameras provide greater situational awareness through increased fields of view and imaging in low light environments. iRobot’s UAP adds improvements to the operator control unit, GPS mapping and critical semi-autonomous features to 510 PackBot, including self-righting, retro-traverse and heading hold. These capabilities speed up operations and reduce workload for the operator, letting them focus on successful completion of the mission. “iRobot is pleased the Navy is continuing to invest in its current fleet of robots. These upgrades will provide our troops with some of the most advanced, life-saving robotic technologies available today,” said Tim Trainer, interim general manager of iRobot’s Defense & Security business unit. “iRobot’s UAP improves mission effectiveness while reducing workload and further minimizing operator exposure to dangerous environments”.