The 110 FirstLook is the smallest member of the company's defense robotic family and is still in preproduction.

The under-5lb robot is a lightweight addition to iRobot's arsenal, able to be thrown into situations like building clearings and raids from up to 15-foot drops. Also able to wade through up to 3ft of water, the 4-inch-tall robot can ascend stairs that are up to 8 inches high, and it self-rights when it is flipped over.

"FirstLook is going to be a very important tool for warfighters and first responders," says Robert Moses, president of iRobot's Government and Industrial Robots division. "Given its small size, ruggedness and state-of-the-art capabilities, the robot is ideal for a range of infantry missions and special operations."

IRobot  
© Billypix
IRobot's FirstLook throwable robot, displayed at Booth #1415, will be released for delivery in 2012.

The robot can get a sense of its surroundings with four built-in cameras and a two-way audio communication link, which works via line of sight. However, the robots can relay the information for non-line-of-sight operation.

The robot communicates back to the user via iRobot's wristwatch-like Operator Control Unit.

Nine inches wide and 10 inches long, the FirstLook can run for 6h on a typical mission or can be used as a stationary monitoring device for up to 10h. Through infrared technology, the robot can monitor a situation in both day and night.

IRobot aims to release the robot on the market in 2012.

Source: Flight Daily News