iAlmost marking the end of an (SBIR) era, in August 2022, it was announced that iRobot had been acquired by Amazon (for a reported $1.7 billion in cash) making it the e-commerce giant's fourth-largest acquisition to date. iRobot Corporation is one of the many now well-known corporations - especially in the early years - actively using access into SBIR dollars in various agencies to support the early development work by very young firm(s) on the technologies that now underpin the companys current operations: in iRobot's case, robots in various configurations to serve consumer, government, and industrial markets, domestic and international. Known for having among the best environment-scanning algorithms, it is indicated that these are to be incorporated into Amazon products such as Astro and Alexa. In April 2016, the iRobot maagement had sold its defense and security division to Arlington Capital Partners - that entity renamed Endeavor Robotics. iRobot was established by roboticists Colin Angle, Helen Greiner and Rodney Brooks after working together in MIT's famed Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. The declared objective had beento build robots that make a difference adaptable to a broad range of applications. Consistent with that philosophy, out of work that began from heavy military-use importance, iRobot went on to offer a full line of consumer product robots for floor vacuuming, floor washing, gutter cleaning, and pool cleaning, sold through chain stores and national retailers, as well as online. More recentlythe firm has moved into important medical aplications. Some of firm's SBIR initiated projects have matured to become substantial federal contracts. These include unmanned ground robots and vehicles; EOD kits that adapt to various improvised explosive devices, conventional ordnance, and SWAT missions; kits to investigate suspicious objects, and to identify roadside bombs and IEDs; and various devices to support various military operations in urban terrain and battle missions - real-time targeting and battle damage assessment; explosive ordnance disposal Industrial use products are used in identifying and handling hazardous materials, search-and-surveillance and law enforcement; explosives detection kits to screen packages and dangerous items. The firm also has a line of Maritime application robots.
