iRobot releases new PackBot

BURLINGTON, Mass., Dec. 12 (UPI) -- Massachusetts-based robot developer iRobot Corp. announced the release of its PackBot technology with a new integrated mapping kit.

iRobot is a developer of the AWARE Robot Intelligence Systems technologies that offer military planners and emergency responders robot capabilities that can perform potential dangerous missions. The company announced its surveillance and reconnaissance aid -- PackBot -- now includes a mapping kit that creates a real-time two-dimensional structural map for the soldier while on the move in theater.

"PackBot with mapping kit utilizes new technology that directly addresses the needs of modern warfighter and other first responders to safely gather crucial environmental intelligence without having to enter hazardous situations," Retired Navy Vice Adm. Joe Dyer, iRobot government and industrial robots division president, said in a statement. "We foresee it becoming an invaluable addition to small unmanned ground vehicle operations that require fast and reliable navigation capabilities in rugged environments."

Company officials say the field tested mapping kit payload technology combines sensors and artificial intelligence to relay a real-time two-dimensional structural map of the environment while simultaneously detecting and avoiding obstacles in its path. "The soldier still maintains control of the robot, but if an obstacle is encountered, PackBot is capable of autonomously changing course to avoid imminent collisions," the release said.