 Keeping
our troops out of harm’s way
Just as iRobot saves hours in the home, it’s also saving lives
on the battlefield.
At iRobot, we strive to find better ways of tackling dull, dirty and dangerous
tasks, whether it’s cleaning floors or disarming explosives. So
when it comes to the war on terrorism, our mantra is: send the robot in
first. As Thomas Killion, the U.S. Army’s deputy assistant secretary
for research and technology, recently told an audience of unmanned-system
contractors in Washington, D.C., “We want unmanned systems to go
where we don’t want to risk our precious soldiers.”
That’s where iRobot PackBot® Tactical Mobile Robots
come in. To date, iRobot has deployed more than 300 PackBot robots in
Iraq and Afghanistan. These robots have performed tens of thousands of
missions, and are credited with saving scores of lives.
Giving soldiers a decisive advantage
Weighing less than forty pounds, PackBot gives a decisive advantage to
soldiers performing hazardous duties. The robot is not only man-portable,
but has an articulate design that allows for fast tactical movement in
urban settings. PackBot can be sent into a hostile environment, to inspect
a building that might be used as a terrorist refuge. “If you don’t
know what’s behind the rock, around the corner or up the stairs,
you’re pretty cautious,” says Joe Dyer, executive vice president
and general manager of iRobot’s Government and Industrial Robots
division. “The robot brings speed, because it’s fearless.”
Send the robot in first
In Iraq today, PackBot is performing its most critical life-saving
mission yet: assisting soldiers in the disposal of roadside bombs. There
is no greater assurance of the success of our robots than these words,
scribbled on the back of a postcard by a US Navy electronics technician
stationed in Iraq: “Thank you for all of your support. You have
saved lives today!”
With hundreds of PackBot robots currently performing explosive ordnance
disposal (EOD) missions in Iraq, the robot has gained something of a following
among its soldier operators. Although several PackBot robots have been
lost to improvised explosive devices, EOD personnel see them as an indispensable
part of their patrol duties. Some even personify the robots by giving
them nicknames. One PackBot deployed for EOD duty in Iraq, was nicknamed
“Scooby Doo” by its patrol. “Scooby” earned a
check mark on its camera head for each explosive device it successfully
disarmed, visceral reminders of the lives that might have been lost had
the robot not been sent in first. When the PackBot was finally knocked
out of commission by an explosion, its operator walked into the repair
shop, cradling the robot in his arms as though it was a hurt child, and
asked if “Scooby” could be fixed.
PackBot’s daily role in supporting our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan—performing
dull, dirty and dangerous work that keeps soldiers out of harm’s
way—is just another example of how iRobot is making a difference
in people’s lives. |
