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www.seadiscovery.com Marine Technology Reporter 25 MTR 100 iRobot Corporation, Maritime Systems Durham, NC Tel: 919-405-3993 www.irobot.com CEO: Colin Angle President: Joe Dyer Marketing Dir: Rob Smith General Mgr: Tim Trainer No. Employees: 500 + (for all of iRobot) Annual Sales: $300m (for all of iRobot – several divisions including consumer goods) iRobot was founded in 1990 when Massachusetts Institute of Technology roboticists Colin Angle and Helen Greiner teamed up with their professor Dr. Rodney Brooks with the vision of making practical robots a reality. iRobot’s combat-proven government and industrial robots perform multiple mis- sions – on the land and in the sea. More than 3,000 iRobot PackBot tactical mobile robots have been delivered to military and civil defense forces worldwide, performing thousands of dangerous search, reconnaissance and bomb- disposal missions while keeping troops out of harm’s way. iRobot’s line of government and industrial robots also includes the iRobot Negotiator, an affordable surveillance robot for public safety professionals, and the iRobot Warrior, a large and rugged robot designed to carry 150- pound payloads. As a key partner in the U.S. Army’s Brigade Combat Team Modernization program, iRobot is developing the next-generation Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle (SUGV). The iRobot 1KA Seaglider and 15A Ranger, iRobot’s Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs), perform a variety of missions for maritime researchers and military planners. To support and encour- age the development of robot technology, iRobot offers comprehensive resources for third-party developers, pro- viding information and products that facilitate the cre- ation and easy integration of new payloads, behaviors and capabilities on iRobot platforms. iRobot collaborates with external developers from government agencies, academic institutions and small and large businesses to create and bring to market innovations that help warfighters and public safety professionals tackle dangerous missions with less risk. With two decades of leadership in the robot industry, iRobot remains committed to providing plat- forms for invention and discovery, developing key part- nerships to foster technological exploration and building robots that improve the quality of life and safety standards worldwide. Technology Profile iRobot’s UUVs perform multiple missions for maritime researchers and military planners, including physical, chemical, biological oceanography, oceanographic surveys and marine environmental monitoring. iRobot’s maritime systems includes the iRobot 1KA Seaglider, a long-range, high-endurance UUV for oceanographic measurements, and the iRobot 15A Ranger, a development platform for riverine and littoral operations. The 1KA Seaglider uses state-of-the-art oceanographic instrumentation to precise- ly measure and report a multitude of data, including tem- perature and conductivity as a function of depth, dis- solved oxygen concentrations, ocean current variation, backscatter and multiple trophic level biomass. These measurements enable the development of sound velocity profiles that are critical for characterizing acoustic propa- gation models and monitoring oceans in great detail. Seaglider’s modular architecture accommodates a variety of configurable sensors for exact mission need. Advanced design and engineering enables long duration data gather- ing missions of up to 10 months at sea that cover thou- sands of nautical miles. Requiring little power to effect buoyancy for thrust, coupled with a stable, low-drag, hydrodynamic shape the 1KA Seaglider effortlessly dives and gliders while activating sensors at pilot designated intervals to collect data. Designed to operate at depths up to 1,000m, the hull compresses as it sinks, matching the compressibility of seawater. Originally designed and developed thru a partnership between APL and the University of Washington School of Oceanography and now manufactured by iRobot Corporation, more than 120 Seagliders have been delivered worldwide to a grow- ing list of Universities and Research Groups, performing an array of missions, gathering data at a fraction of the cost and enabling real-time, long-duration missions – reducing the need and cost of being at sea. Angle Seaglider
