EDGEWOOD, Md., 22 August 2006. The U.S. Army's Edgewood Chemical and Biological Center has selected Smiths Detection, part of the global engineering business Smiths Group, to supply the Lightweight Chemical Detector (LCD) for use with a new advanced reconnaissance robot.

Under the CBRN Unmanned Ground Reconnaissance Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration program, Edgewood Chemical and Biological Center will fit iRobot PackBot robots with the Smiths Detection LCD. The LCD detects a wide range of chemical warfare agents including nerve, blister, blood, and choking agents.

The new robots, which will be known as the CBRN Unmanned Ground Vehicle or CUGV, recently completed technical demonstrations at Aberdeen Proving Ground. They will be evaluated by soldiers of the 95th Chemical Company, U.S. Army Alaska, at Ft. Richardson and Elemdorf Air Force Base in September. If it is determined that the CUGV has military utility, it will be retained by the 95th Chemical Company in Alaska for two years.

The CUGV is designed to inspect potentially hazardous areas that other tactical vehicles cannot access.

The sensor payload, using Smiths Detection's LCD, can detect chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals. Additional sensors can detect oxygen levels, lower explosive limits, and gamma radiation.

The robot sends data back to other manned systems or a command post, allowing soldiers and first responders to stay out of harm's way. In addition, the CUGV is capable of collecting samples for further analysis.