iRobot and Taser partner to provide robot with taser capabilities for military

BURLINGTON, Mass., 2 July 2007.iRobot Corp. has entered into a strategic alliance with Taser International Inc. to develop new robots that can remotely engage, incapacitate, and control dangerous suspects with integrated Taser electronic control devices.

Built on iRobot's combat-proven PackBot robot platforms, the new Taser-equipped robots will add a new ability to control dangerous suspects while keeping personnel, the suspect, and bystanders out of harm's way.

iRobot and Taser together have developed a working proof-of-concept model -- an iRobot PackBot Explorer with a Taser X26 device -- to showcase the first robot of its kind with an on-board, integrated Taser payload.

The PackBot Explorer is a rugged and lightweight robot that can be hand-carried and deployed by a single operator. An unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), PackBot Explorer is designed to search hazardous areas, giving warfighters, law enforcement personnel, and first responders a safe first look so they know what to expect and how to respond.

PackBot Explorer and the iRobot PackBot family of robots are designed with a digital, modular architecture which makes integration of payloads, including the Taser electronic control device, easy and cost effective.