Robot made for public safety duty

It's WALL-E meets RoboCop. The latest technology from iRobot Corp. has arrived, and the arm of the law may never be the same.

The Bedford company today is unveiling the iRobot Negotiator, which it says is designed to meet public safety needs.

Operated with a joystick controller, the robot can be sent into an unsafe situation - such as a confrontation with an armed suspect - acting as the eyes and ears of authorities. It's a tall order for a device with a less than imposing presence: The Negotiator is 7.6 inches tall and weighs 34 pounds.

"Basically the robots take the dangerous tasks and keep the public safety personnel out of those dangerous situations and allow them to address these situations remotely," said Jim Rymarcsuk, vice president of iRobot.

For instance, Rymarcsuk said, in a scenario involving the taking of hostages, the robot could approach the hostage taker. Using a built-in day and night camera and a two-way audio system, the device gives police the capability to hear, speak with, and see the suspect through the robot. They "never have to expose themselves until they understand the situation fully," Rymarcsuk said.

The robot can explore other spaces where a person would not want to go or could not fit, such as a cave or tunnel, or a building that is structurally unsound.

The technology used in the device has already proven effective in Iraq and Afghanistan, the company said. The US military uses PackBot, a tactical robot, to scour caves in Afghanistan and detect roadside bombs in Iraq. Stronger, faster, and more flexible than the Negotiator, the 48-pound PackBot can go through water, be thrown through windows, and function in the dusty and hot conditions often faced by the military. More than 1,600 have been sold, at about $100,000 apiece.

The Negotiator provides more rudimentary reconnaissance at a much lower cost, according to iRobot. The basic version costs between $15,000 and $20,000, but depending on accessories, the price can double, Rymarcsuk said. Accessories include flippers to climb stairs, enhanced sensors and camera systems, infrared vision, and a chemical gas detector.

IRobot, founded in 1990 by graduates of the robotics program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, is also known for its consumer robots, including the Roomba vacuum, which can navigate a household and fits under furniture. Another product, the Scooba, washes, scrubs, and squeegees floors. More than 3 million household robots have been sold, the company said.

Elizabeth Campbell can be reached at ecampbell@globe.com.