Army orders robot upgrade packages

BEDFORD, Mass., Oct. 8 (UPI) -- The U.S. Army has ordered $14 million worth of iRobot Aware 2 robot intelligence software and spare parts for iRobot PackBot tactical mobile robots.

The order from the U.S. Army TACOM Contracting Center in Warren, Mich., will allow the Army to upgrade its existing iRobot 510 FasTac fleet to the iRobot 510 PackBot multi-mission robot.

"We are pleased to be providing these important software upgrades and spares to the Army," said Robert Moses, president of iRobot's Government and Industrial Robots division. "This will allow a more standardized fleet of robots that can accept additional upgrades in the future as new payloads are developed and autonomous capabilities increase.

"The order also ensures that these robots are properly maintained and ready to be deployed on the battlefield where they are saving lives every day."

The iRobot 510 PackBot multi-mission robot performs bomb disposal and other missions and is being used in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Powered by iRobot Aware 2 robot intelligence software, 510 PackBot is a highly adaptable robot. The robot's modular digital architecture accommodates a wide variety of interchangeable payloads that enable a wide variety of missions. The 510 PackBot can be reconfigured quickly, based on the needs of the mission and the operator's preferences. iRobot Aware 2 software also allows for the implementation of assistive autonomous operations, reducing operator workload and providing increased situational awareness, the company said.

This is the 20th order under the $286 million, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity xBot contract. The current total contract value is about $143 million.