Robot Reviews

Last month, the Naval Sea Systems Command awarded iRobot a contract to supply them with up to $13.5 million worth of PackBot MTRS robots. This week, the Army awarded them a deal more than twice that.

The deal, worth $35.3 million, will allow the Army to reinforce their troops with 486 iRobot PackBot 510 (with FasTac Kit) robots. Compared to the MTRS (Man Transportable Robotic System), which is mainly designed to provide support to Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technicians (just a technical term for bomb disposal guys), PackBots with FasTac Kits are much lighter and hence are more suitable for use in the infantry. They can also be used for surveillance and route clearance.

We knew something big was going to come out of iRobot's beefing up of operations in Troy, near TACOM in Warren, Mich. We just didn't think it would happen this soon.

A PackBot 510 can cruise up to 5.8 miles per hour and climb up to 60 degrees. It can navigate over practically any terrain like rocks, mud, snow, or gravel. These robots are used to conduct missions that are too deadly for human fighters.

Basically, a PackBot 510 with FasTac Kit includes a small arm manipulator, camera arm, Picatinny Rail Clamp, and two BB-2590/U Li-Ion Batteries that supplies power for a 4-hour run time, among others. 

To control them, the operator uses a control unit that closely resembles a (rugged-looking) laptop equipped with a console-gamer's controller. Through the laptop's screen and speakers, the operator can receive real-time audio and video as well as other readings from the robot at a safe distance. 

See iRobot's cool official video of the PackBot below.