iRobot to Build Soft Military Robots

By Nick Mokey June 17, 2008

iRobot to Build Soft Military Robots

The next generation of military robot won’t be gun-toting, armored, or equipped with explosives. Instead, it will be soft. So says iRobot about the next custom robot it will be engineering for the U.S. military.

The company announced Tuesday that it had received a multi-year, $3.3 million contract for the mobile robots from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the U.S. Army Research Office. Their mission: build a so-called ChemBot that can worm its way through the most cluttered and complex environments, and through openings that are smaller than it is.

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“Unmanned platforms such as mechanical robots are of limited effectiveness if the only available points of entry are small openings,” said DARPA program manager Mitchell Zakin, Ph.D., in a statement. “We believe that a new class of soft, flexible, meso-scale mobile objects that can identify and maneuver through openings smaller than their dimensions to perform various tasks will be quite valuable in many missions.”

iRobot, makers of the popular Roomba and Scooba home-cleaning robots, already makes an array of government and industrial robots such as the popular PackBot line, the remotely driven R-Gator, and the FCS SUGV.

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Smart Home

This robot lawn mower is $400 off for Amazon Prime Day

husqvarna automower 415x deal amazon prime day 2023 robotic lawn mower lifestyle image

One of the best Prime Day deals is one we don't see too often -- a hefty discount on a robot lawn mower. The robot lawn mower in question is the Husqvarna Automower 415X. It's usually priced at $2,000 but it's down to $1,600 right now so you're saving 20% off the regular price. This still isn't exactly cheap but if you're someone in need of an easier way to keep your garden and yard maintained, it's a good investment. One of the better Prime Day smart home deals around, let's take a look at what it offers.

Why you should buy the Husqvarna Automower 415X Robotic Lawn Mower
Husqvarna features in our look at the best robot lawn mowers thanks to its excellent reputation. It's particularly well suited for small to medium yards. If you're wondering how robot lawn mowers work, the Husqvarna Automower 415X Robotic Lawn Mower is the perfect example. You simply set it up by defining the mowing area with the included boundary wire and sync it with your phone and the companion app. From there, you can control it from anywhere. It's capable of cutting up to 0.4 acres before having to head back to base with it able to cope with up to 40-degree slopes. It has a cutting width of 8.7 inches and an area capacity of 680 square feet per hour.

Smart Home

The best Prime Day robot vacuum deals, from just $97

Digital Trends Best Prime Day Robot Vacuum Deals

When it comes to seeking out the best Prime Day 2023 deals, it's always a good idea to look for a solid combination of items you need -- to make your life easier -- while choosing items that rarely go on sale. A great example of this are smart robot vacuums, which are designed to clean your home for you, while you kick back and relax, or focus on some more important tasks. And in case you were wondering, there are quite a few excellent discounts on robot vacuums for Prime Day this year. So, instead of shopping for the best Prime Day TV deals, looking for discounts on the best smart home devices, or any other well-priced gear, why not take a look at these Prime Day robot vacuum deals we've gathered up below?
Our favorite Prime Day robot vacuum deal
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iRobot Roomba J6+ and a smartphone on a white background.

If you're done with spring cleaning -- and never want to deal with that again -- you should consider getting a robot vacuum. They take almost all the work out of keeping your floors clean. They can be a big investment, but Prime Day robot vacuum deals can take quite a bit of money of they price tag. Right now one of the best iRobot models out there, the Roomba j6+, is the cheapest its ever been. During Prime Day Roomba deals, the j6+ is only $500. Considering it's normally $800, and it's only ever gone as low as $650, this is an incredible deal. Don't wait any longer, since Prime Day deals will be over soon.

Why you should buy the Roomba j6+ robot vacuum during Prime Day
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