iRobot has announced it was awarded an additional $1.6 million in funding from the U.S. government's Technical Support Working Group (TSWG) for development, training and field testing of the iRobot Warrior(tm) robot, formerly known as NEOMover. Since 2002, iRobot has received more than $8 million in development contracts from TSWG to develop a number of next-generation robot technologies. Warrior is expected to be ready for deployment in 2008.
A rugged, 250-pound robot, Warrior is designed to carry out life-threatening missions in the field, keeping Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technicians and combat engineers out of harm's way. Warrior is a multi-mission platform with a ground speed of 12 mph and a heavy lift-carrying capacity. The robot can pick up a 95-pound artillery shell and carry it with ease over rough terrain, or run supplies and ammunition to soldiers pinned down by enemy fire. While the iRobot PackBot(r) is a tool for the soldier's use, Warrior has the potential to be a co-combatant with the soldier.
Warrior can conduct remote surveillance and deliver intelligence, and also has the brute strength to fire EOD disruptors, remove battlefield casualties, mount sensors including HAZMAT and CBRN payloads, remove heavy debris, carry supplies, mount firefighting gear, and more. The robot's digital architecture conforms to the latest JAUS standards, ensuring compatibility with third-party payloads.
"iRobot Warrior has the ruggedness of a PackBot, the strength of a bull, and the speed of a sprinter," said Vice Admiral Joe Dyer (U.S. Navy, Ret.), president of iRobot Government and Industrial Robots. "Today hundreds of iRobot PackBot robots are successfully performing EOD missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, and soon Warrior will dramatically change the missions robots undertake."
