Irobot announces Army contract

Bedford's iRobot Corp. said today that it has been awarded a contract under which the US Army could order up to $200 million in military robots, spare parts, training, and repair services over the next five years.

The company described the contract as a ceiling priced Indefinite-Delivery/Indefinite-Quantity, or IDIQ, contract from the U.S. Army Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation.

IRobot said in a press release: "This award replaces a previous IDIQ contract that expired in May 2008 and does not limit orders to any particular robots within iRobot's government and industrial line. Previous IDIQ contracts awarded to the company were specifically for purchases of its iRobot PackBot robots. This contract, however, allows the Army to request additional products and services from iRobot as needed."

The company also makes a consumer line of robots, such as the Roomba, which performs vacuum-cleaning chores around the home.

A story in last Sunday's Globe referenced iRobot.
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)