ALBUQUERQUE, NM -- (Marketwire) -- 10/13/09 -- Novint Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB: NVNT)
today announced it has been awarded a subcontract with iRobot Corp.
(NASDAQ: IRBT) for a military robotics project funded by the Secretary of
Defense Joint Ground Robotics Enterprise through the Robotics Technology
Consortium (RTC).
Under this subcontract, Novint will co-develop a Remote Touch Kit (RTK) for
one of iRobot's military-grade unmanned ground vehicles, called the
PackBot. With the RTK soldiers will, for the first time, experience force
and tactile sensing when operating the PackBot from a distance.
The RTK will allow soldiers to feel how hard the PackBot's "gripper"
squeezes an object, safely pick up and handle fragile objects, and feel
when the robot's arm touches a wire or reaches a movement limit. When
driving the robot, soldiers will also feel bumps and jerks of the robot,
improving performance over rugged terrain.
The result will be greatly reduced task times and operator burden,
increased dexterity and situational awareness, and reduced training.
"As demand for unmanned military robots continues to grow, Novint's touch
technology will play a crucial role in enhancing operator control during
mission-tasks such as bomb disposal or surveillance," said Tom Anderson,
CEO of Novint Technologies. "iRobot is the leader in developing
next-generation robotics capabilities and has delivered more than 2,500
PackBot robots to the military. Novint is pleased to be working alongside
iRobot to deliver new capabilities that will help keep soldiers out of
harm's way."
About Novint
Novint (OTCBB: NVNT) develops, markets, and licenses technology that adds
high-fidelity interactive 3D touch to computing. For more information
visit: www.novint.com.
This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking
statements." Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements
involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ
materially from the statements made. Factors that may cause or contribute
to such differences include fewer sales than expected, changes in industry
conditions, litigation, and other risk factors identified in the Company's
Form 10KSB filed with the SEC. The Company undertakes no obligation to
update these forward-looking statements for revisions or changes after the
date of this press release.