BURLINGTON, Mass., 8 Feb. 2007. iRobot Corp. has announced the iRobot PackBot 510 with EOD Kit, a second-generation explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) robot. PackBot 510 uses a new game-style hand controller for faster training and easier operation in the field. In addition, the robot is 30 percent faster, drags larger objects, lifts twice the weight, and has a grip that is three times stronger than its predecessor. This new robot will begin shipping in April 2007.

To date, iRobot has delivered more than 800 PackBot robots, which are in operation in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world. The PackBot 510 was designed specifically to address evolving end-user requirements for a stronger, faster, and easier-to-use robot.

The robot's new hand controller is modeled after video game controllers, making PackBot 510 easier to use, and resulting in less training time and more rapid operations in the field. In addition, the advanced track technology significantly increases the robot's performance on rough terrain.

Vice Admiral Joe Dyer (U.S. Navy, Ret.), president of iRobot Government & Industrial Robots, says: "Based on feedback from the troops, iRobot designed the PackBot 510 to help our soldiers counter the increasing and complex threats posed by improvised explosive devices."

During an EOD training session at Fort Knox, Ky., soldiers from the 703rd Ordnance Company used the new hand controller to maneuver the PackBot.