WALTHAM, Mass., 19 Sept. 2005. Robot maker Foster-Miller Inc. in Waltham, Mass., won its second multimillion-dollar contract this month on Sept. 16 for a bomb-busting unmanned ground vehicle that finds and destroys improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the global war on terror.
Foster-Miller won a $133.3 million contract modification from the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Friday to support the Man Transportable Robotic System (MTRS) program. The original contract, number N00174-03-D-0002, is from the Naval Sea Systems Command Indian Head Division at Indian Head, Md.
Foster-Miller won another modification to that contract on Sept. 8 for $96.1 million for MTRS work, which brings its DOD contract total so far this month for the MTRS to $229.4 million.
The MTRS is a small robotic system for remote reconnaissance of unexploded ordnance and improvised explosive devices in areas such as Iraq and Afghanistan, where many of these systems are deployed.
Foster-Miller's Sept. 16 contract modification is to provide life cycle support and spare parts for additional MTRS systems. The company's Sept. 8 contract modification was to provide an additional 250 to 1,200 MTRS units for urgent deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan.
The MTRS is providing lucrative business this month to another company, as well. I-Robot Corp. in Burlington, Mass., won a $95.6 million contract modification Sept. 14 to increase the number of available MTRS units from 250 to 1200.
The MTRS, which will be able to operate in urban and rural environments, is a modular system that will allow interoperability with future mission packages such as chemical and nuclear detectors, EOD render safe tools, EOD disruption tools, and EOD disposal tools.
The system architecture of the MTRS will be expandable and inherently upgradeable to allow for future enhancements.
For its Sept. 16 contract modification, Foster-Miller will do the work in Waltham, Mass., and will be finished by October 2012. For more information contact Foster-Miller online at www.foster-miller.com.
