The PackBot by iRobot has quite a reputation on the field as an important tool of war. But it may soon have company from a smaller sibling. The tiny bot is known as Ember, and what it lacks in size it makes up for in durability and convenience.
Ember, roughly the size of a paperback book, can be carried in groups by a single soldier and deployed in the field, creating a mini swarm of multi-function robotic fun. One potential use is to load up the small bots with multiple transmitters and let them create a mobile wireless network to bridge the gaps for communication and control scenarios.
The one pound wonders are extremely durable, welcoming the bangs and bumps that are sure to happen in the given environment. If the going gets too tough, the bot packs dual flippers to lift and throw itself out of a jam. While the miniscule marvel is currently remote control only, future versions will pack artificial intelligence to allow it navigate around obstacles and no doubt carry out given instructions autonomously.
Ember will no doubt be a solid hit on the battlefield, but it could be useful in the private sector as well, tagging along after kids and patrolling houses at night. No word on the runtime per charge, but given its small weight (which adds to its durability from falls), it could have a fairly respectable up time. It might be good to keep an eye out on this one.
iRobot was founded in 1990 by Rodney Brooks, Colin Angle and Helen Greiner after working in MIT's Artificial Intelligence Lab. In 1998 the company received a DARPA research contract which led to the development of the PackBot. In September 2002, iRobot unveiled its home robots flagship, the Roomba, which has gone on to sell more than 3 million units to date.[1] iRobot began being traded on the NASDAQ in November 2005 under ticker symbol IRBT. In October 2008, iRobot announced that over 2000 PackBots have been deployed.
source: wikipedia
