The water resistant robot is just 25 inches long, 16 inches wide (21 inches with optional flippers attached), and 7.6 inches tall. It weighs 34 pounds with batteries installed and is capable of traveling 3.1 miles per hour on its own power. Each Negotiator robot includes a color video camera and a low light infrared camera, an infrared LED array for illuminating dark surroundings, two nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries (capable of providing 3-6 hours of power depending on the usage profile), and a payload bay to hold one of several optional add-on modules. Some of the available optional modules include a day/night pan and tilt camera system, a rear mounted flood light, and a gas monitor. A pair of flippers that allow movement over a wider variety of terrains and in harsh weather conditions are also available as an optional additional purchase.
The system also includes a rapid charging system with the appropriate cables to use it, a Jabra headset for two way communication with the module, and an operator control system with a joystick for controlling the robot remotely and a video monitor showing what its cameras are viewing in real time. The system also allows close monitoring of battery life during a mission. The control system weighs 8.5 pounds and includes its own NiMH battery.
While specific pricing is not specified on the iRobot website, the Negotiator is meant to be a lower cost alternative to the larger and more powerful PackBot system designed for military use. iRobot also offers information about and assistance in applying for a variety of grants that help public safety officials in the United States purchase Negotiator robots using federal Homeland Security funds.
TFOT has previously reported on robots designed for military, government, and industrial use including iRobot’s PackBot robot, robots that climb through pipes checking them for problems, future plans for robotic squadrons of soldiers designed by Bar-Ilon University, and an all-terrain robot called ATHLETE.
Read more about the Negotiator robot at iRobot’s Negotiator product page here or download the Negotiator datasheet here.
