iRobot to ship 100 bomb-sniffing robots to Iraq

IRobot Corp. received a $16.6 million contract for more than 100 explosive-detection robots that will be used by US military forces in Iraq.

The Burlington robot company said today the contract was granted by the Naval Air Systems Command, and that it has teamed up on the project with ICx Technologies, a Washington, D.C., company providing solutions for homeland and military security.

Known as ICx Fido for iRobot PackBots, the units feature a seven-foot arm that allows the robot to place the explosive sensor close to suspicious objects; PackBot can then use its on-board capabilities to disarm or disable IEDs, or improvised explosive devices, while warfighters remain out of harm's way, iRobot said.

The company makes robots designed to perform dangerous and dull tasks; one high-profile product is the iRobot Roomba, which vacuums floors and rugs. To date, iRobot says it has delivered more than 800 PackBots to military and civilian customers worldwide.
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)