iRobot selected for LANdroids program

BURLINGTON, Mass., March 5 (UPI) -- The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency announced it has selected iRobot Corp. for the multiyear LANdroids Program.

Under DARPA's LANdroids program, a multiyear robotics research and development initiative, Massachusetts-based artificial intelligence technologies designer iRobot will develop a portable communications relay robot for use by U.S. soldiers in urban military theaters.

"The goal of the DARPA LANdroids program is to develop technologies to enable the warfighter operating in dense urban environments to rapidly deploy and maintain a vital communications infrastructure. This infrastructure is composed of a system of multiple LANdroids mobile communications relay robots that form a reconfigurable communications backbone in support of operations," the release said.

Company officials say they are planning to develop a small, inexpensive, intelligent and robust portable communications relay robot so that a single soldier will be able to carry multiple robots to handle the evolving threats in the field.

"More than 1,300 of iRobot's field-tested and combat-proven PackBot robots have been deployed in theater delivering mission-critical support to warfighters around the globe," Helen Greiner, iRobot co-founder and chairman, said in a statement.

"Research and development awards such as the DARPA LANdroids program enable us to continue driving innovation towards the next-generation of revolutionary mobile, tactical combat robots that deliver advanced situational awareness and help keep warfighters out of harm's way."