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The U.S.
Army has awarded a five year contract worth up to $280 million
to supply up to 3,000 small robotic vehicles, designed to combat
IEDs and clear caves and buildings in combat areas. The contract
is part of the Army's response to a Joint Urgent Operational
Needs Statement from commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan. The
Army requires thousands such robots, weighing less than 50 pounds
each to assist troops to clear objectives in urban areas and
combat IEDs.
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| Robotic
FX is the new Negotiator, a 45 pound platform, sofar used by
law enforcement units. The robot is equipped with a manipulator
arm, multiple lighting LEDs and cameras, and offers high mobility
and maneuverability over rough terrain. The Army is already
operating over 4,000 small robots; among these about a thousand
are the PacBot types, made by iRobot which also competed for
the same contract. The new contract represent the military's
intention to widen its supplier base, therefore increasing pace
such robots are produced and fielded.
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