Given the tremendous success that its robots have had in Iraq detecting improvised explosives devices, the management of iRobot Corp., based in Burlington, Mass., is looking at the homeland security market for major growth in the future.

The homeland security market for robots could soar over the next several years with a government requirement that all certified bomb squads must have robots for explosives ordnance detection and disposal by the end of the decade.

If homeland security orders are changed to more of a catalogue system similar to that used by the General Services Administration, rather than the current cumbersome grant system, it would help tremendously in meeting that demand, Dyer said. Currently, companies must spend considerable time and effort to make sales to individual police departments, in contrast to the ease of marketing to the Defense Department, with its centralized purchasing.

iRobot has already made sales applicable to homeland security, noted Rob Smith, director of business development in iRobot's government and industrial division. The Milford, Conn., Police Department used the PacBot Scout robot produced by iRobot in a hostage situation. The St. Paul, Minn., bomb squad has successfully used its PacBot Explosives Ordnance Detection robot in dealing with a potential bomb situation.

iRobot, which was founded in 1990 by roboticists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, offers robots for uses ranging from household cleaning to explosives detection. Over the past several years, iRobot has undergone explosive growth, increasing annual sales from $14.8 million in 2002 to $95 million in 2004. With the increased sales, the company was able to turn a $10.8 million loss in 2002 into a modest $443,000 net profit in 2004.

The company is best known for its Roomba floor vacuuming robot, but its military products have put the company in the forefront of military and homeland security robotics. After the World Trade Center attack, the PackBot Scout, developed for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, proved its worth in examining the structural integrity of nearby buildings. In Afghanistan, it was used to perform dangerous reconnaissance in caves. The PackBot Scout is a portable, mobile robot that can be carried by a single soldier.

The PackBot Explosives Ordnance Detection has been used in Iraq to identify improvised explosive devices. It can be outfitted with a high-pressure water cannon to destroy bombs.

A third variant of the PackBot, the PackBot Explorer, is used for targeting and battle damage assessment. The Explorer can raise its camera 18 inches to provide increased awareness of surroundings to soldiers and first responders.

More than 250 robots of all three types have already been sold to the US military, and the company is continuing to produce them rapidly. Its production rate soared from eight to 10 robots per month 18 months ago to 30 to 40 robots per month currently.

Working with Deere & Co., iRobot also has developed the R-Gator, which combines the M-Gator military utility vehicle platform with iRobot robotic controls and obstacle avoidance systems. The US Space and Naval War Systems Command is examining whether the robot could be used to patrol airport perimeters in a program at San Diego North Island Naval Air Station. Unattended sensors have proved to be susceptible to false alarms and require personnel to check any potential problem. That can be done right away with the R-Gator.

In homeland security, the R-Gator would have considerable potential applications in patrolling borders, pipelines and chemical plants.

iRobot also is working on the next generation of military robots in the US Army Future Combat Systems program, a major research program to develop a more mobile, lethal and survivable army of the future. iRobot is responsible for the development of the US Army's Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle, a more lightweight, man-portable robot than is currently available. It would be used for reconnaissance, remote sensing and urban warfare.

The smaller, more capable robots under development for the Future Combat Systems program would have direct applicability in homeland security. iRobot is already looking into potential applications under the planned America's Shield program to make US borders more secure.

The robots also fit into iRobot's vision of the future in homeland security, in which the company offers a family of robots whose missions are continually increasing as new payload technologies are introduced, such as chemical sensing, bomb sniffing and specialized optics.

Philip Finnegan is director of corporate analysis at the Teal Group, a firm based in Fairfax, Va., that provides strategic and market analysis to major corporations. Mr. Finnegan can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it To comment on this article, e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it