iRobot Warrior 710

iRobot, the Bedford, Massachusetts, is well known for making a range of robots, which include the Roomba, a vacuum robot for tidying up your house, and a range of other military and police robots to disable improvised explosive devices and perform other dangerous tasks. iRobot is launching a new version of its iRobot Warrior  which is designed for EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal), surveillance and other military tasks.

What does it do?  Cool, right?

• iRobot is strong enough to tow a car and dexterous enough to open its trunk using the handle.
• iRobot Warrior 710 is capable of lifting up to 220 lbs around 100kg and it can also carry weights of up to 150 pounds, around 68kg over rough terrain.
• iRobot rides on caterpillar tracks like a tank.
• iRobot can climb stairs and cover rough terrain
• Perform tasks ranging from the delicate (opening car doors) to the destructive (smashing car windows) with its two-meter-long mechanical arm.
•   iRobot could be weaponized in one test it launched a rocket that trailed explosives behind it to clear mines or other obstacles. 
• Other Stuff..iRobot Warrior is just under a meter long, and standing a little over half a meter tall with its arm folded down. The robot’s electric motor gives it a top speed of 12.9 kilometers per hour and enough power to pull a large car. The robot’s tracks and “flippers” allow it to climb over obstacles half a meter in height, and to rear up and reach its arm up to 3.5 meters from the ground. The arm can lift more than 68 kilograms.Measuring 35-in (89 cm) long, 18-in (46 cm) high (in stowed configuration) and 30.25-in (77 cm) wide (or 21.25-in with its stair-climbing flippers removed), the 710 Warrior weighs 347 lbs (157 kg) with battery and flippers installed and can travel at speeds of up to 8 mph (12.9 km/h) thanks to its electric motor that packs enough grunt to allow the robot to pull a car.
  The unmanned robot is controlled via an Operator Control Unit powered by iRobot’s Aware 2 robot intelligence software and can be fitted with optional obstacle avoidance sensors, compass and GPS.
  iRobot Warrior is controlled using iRobot’s Aware 2 software and operated remotely using an Xbox controller. Microsoft’s ergonomics were apparently just right for the process of carrying out tasks remotely. With the controller, users can navigate the Warrior and send basic functions to it, such as smashing windows or transporting heavy material.
  Warrior prototypes have already been deployed, including two that were sent to navigate damage at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan after last year’s earthquake and tsunami.They were used to clean up radiation-contaminated rooms safe for humans with a vacuum cleaner taped to the robot’s arm to suck up radioactive dust.