Congress sets aside $2 million for robot project
November 13th, 2008 | by admin |BEDFORD, Mass.—IRobot Corp. said Wednesday that Congress has set aside $2 million for further development of the Warrior 700, a robot designed to help soldiers and law enforcement dismantle explosives and complete other dangerous tasks.
The funding is included in a 2009 appropriations measure, iRobot said.
“This funding will allow iRobot to expand its product line, which continues to evolve as the need for unmanned ground vehicles grows worldwide,” said Joe Dyer, president of the government and industrial unit at Bedford-based iRobot, which also makes vacuum cleaner and floor-scrubbing robots for consumers.
IRobot has delivered more than 2,000 PackBot robots. The first production units of the next-generation Warrior are expected to be available for purchase in next year’s third quarter.
The Warrior is designed to provide video, audio and sensor readings to combat troops and law enforcement SWAT teams that use the robots to dismantle explosives, conduct reconnaissance and perform other tasks.
Shares of iRobot rose 4 cents to $10.48 in morning trading, near the bottom end of the stock’s 52-week range of $9.40 to $22.42.