IRobot accelerates new robot project

Burlington robot-maker iRobot Corp. said today that the Army has accelerated testing schedules for its program to develop a small unmanned ground vehicle, or SUGV.

The updated plan calls for iRobot to deliver 25 of these robots by April, iRobot said.

Modeled after iRobot's battlefield PackBot robot, the SUGV is a 30-pound tactical reconnaissance robot designed to assist soldiers in obtaining intelligence in dangerous or otherwise inaccessible areas.

The Army Evaluation Task Force will begin evaluation and testing of the robots in May; this effort is intended to provide an early capability of SUGV to soldiers in the field, iRobot said.

These evaluations will support the Army's production decision, which is expected in September, iRobot said.
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)