The iRobot Corporation designs robots for businesses, homes and the military. The company's best known products are the Roomba, a vacuum cleaner and the Scooba which is a floor washer.
The company also has a division which is devoted to designing government and industrial robots. The division has made the iRobot Warrior x700. The Warrior x700 is one of the several bomb disposing robots the company has designed.
The company announced that it had been awarded a $286 million Army contract for robots that disarm explosives.
The company will provide the army with up to 3,000 robots and spare parts and also provide training. iRobot says that the army is now using bots on a much larger scale. Earlier their use was limited because earlier robots were bulky and less sophisticated.
Enhanced maneuverability of modern robots is leading to increased application in various areas. They are expected to be particularly useful in Afghanistan and Iraq where landmines are used on a large scale and are responsible for numerous as well as civilian casualties.