Air Force takes delivery of robots

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., Feb. 1 (UPI) -- The U.S. Air Force has received small unmanned ground vehicles for explosive ordnance disposal teams from Boeing and iRobot Corp. of Massachusetts.

The 30 SUGVs are part of the first task order under an indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract that runs through September 2012.

"We are pleased to work with iRobot to enable Air Force EOD technicians to perform reconnaissance while reducing their exposure to unexploded ordnance," said Mike Huddleston, Robotics program manager for Boeing Network & Tactical Systems.

Boeing and iRobot developed the SUGV family of vehicles under an alliance that began in 2007.

The robot is designed to give troops real-time awareness of critical situations and allow them to complete missions from safe standoff distances. SUGV is ideal for a variety of missions, including EOD, route clearance and reconnaissance.

As the prime contractor, Boeing provides program management, contracts and quality-control support from offices in Huntsville, Ala.; iRobot is responsible for engineering, design, manufacturing, training and logistics services, with the majority of work conducted in Bedford, Mass.