Total Contract Value Reaches $8.5 Million
BURLINGTON, Mass., Nov. 16, 2006 – iRobot Corp. (NASDAQ: IRBT) today announced it was awarded an additional $1.6 million in funding from the U.S. government’s Technical Support Working Group (TSWG) for development, training and field testing of the iRobot Warrior™ robot, formerly known as NEOMover. Since 2002, iRobot has received more than $8 million in development contracts from TSWG to develop a number of next-generation robot technologies. Warrior is expected to be ready for deployment in 2008.
A rugged, 250-pound robot, Warrior is designed to carry out life-threatening missions in the field, keeping Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technicians and combat engineers out of harm’s way. Warrior is a multi-mission platform with a ground speed of 12 mph and a heavy lift-carrying capacity. The robot can pick up a 95-pound artillery shell and carry it with ease over rough terrain, or run supplies and ammunition to soldiers pinned down by enemy fire. While the iRobot PackBot® is a tool for the soldier’s use, Warrior has the potential to be a co-combatant with the soldier.
Warrior can conduct remote surveillance and deliver intelligence, and also has the brute strength to fire EOD disruptors, remove battlefield casualties, mount sensors including HAZMAT and CBRN payloads, remove heavy debris, carry supplies, mount firefighting gear, and more. The robot’s digital architecture conforms to the latest JAUS standards, ensuring compatibility with third-party payloads.
“iRobot Warrior has the ruggedness of a PackBot, the strength of a bull, and the speed of a sprinter,” said Vice Admiral Joe Dyer (U.S. Navy, Ret.), president of iRobot Government & Industrial Robots. “Today hundreds of iRobot PackBot robots are successfully performing EOD missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, and soon Warrior will dramatically change the missions robots undertake.”
About iRobot Corp. iRobot is a provider of robots that perform dull, dirty or dangerous missions in a better way. The company's proprietary technology, iRobot AWARE Robot Intelligence Systems, incorporates advanced concepts in navigation, mobility, manipulation and artificial intelligence. This proprietary system enables iRobot to build behavior-based robots, including its family of consumer and military robots. For additional information about iRobot, please visit www.irobot.com.
For iRobot Investors Certain statements made in this press release that are not based on historical information are forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This press release contains express or implied forward-looking statements relating to, among other things, iRobot Corp.’s expectations concerning estimates of future revenues, product-development plans, and the commercial launch of its products. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. In particular, the risks and uncertainties include, among other things, our dependence on the U.S. federal government and government contracts, and changes in government policies or spending priorities. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. iRobot Corp. undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise. For additional disclosure regarding these and other risks faced by iRobot Corp., see the disclosure contained in our public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including, without limitation, our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K.