iRobot upgrades its software

Burlington's iRobot Corp., the maker of robots that dispose of bombs and vacuum the house, disclosed today the beta release of the iRobot Aware 2.0 Robot Intelligence Software, the first major enhancement to the software platform of the tactical mobile robots.

The company said this marks the first time it has offered its Aware software platform to third-party developers; the move is designed to give developers a head start in creating advanced payloads and capabilities for all iRobot platforms, including PackBot, an iRobot product that specializes in battlefield bomb disposal.

"Robots are a critical security and intelligence component of 21st century warfare," Joe Dyer, president of iRobot government and industrial robots, said in a statement.

Aside from PackBots, iRobot also makes the Roomba vacuum-cleaning robot, among others.
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)