Jun 06. Carnegie Mellon spin-off RE2 Unmanned Systems Software Development Kit. RE2, Inc., a Carnegie Mellon spin-off specializing in agile defense robotics, today announced the general availability of the RE2 JAUS Software Development Kit (SDK) Version 1.0 and its comprehensive RE2 Solution Services. JAUS (Joint Architecture for Unmanned Systems) is a DoD mandated software-messaging protocol developed to establish a standard for unmanned ground, surface, and underwater vehicles, enabling interoperability between unmanned systems and components. The RE2 JAUS SDK provides military and commercial unmanned systems developers with a comprehensive toolkit to design and implement a JAUS-compliant system. The RE2 Solution Services provide unmanned systems vendors with a single supplier for all of their JAUS software, development, and engineering requirements. (Source: Shephard)

Jun 06. iRobot awarded $64m contract for robotic systems in Iraq and Afghanistan. iRobot Corp.*, Burlington, Mass., is being awarded a $64,330,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for operator and technician training, Packbot spare parts, and new robots for the Robotic Systems Joint Project Office for use by the Joint Robotics repair facilities and imbedded repair teams deployed in support of contingency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan in support of the Global War on Terror. Work will be performed in Burlington, Mass., and is expected to be completed in May 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, Orlando, Fla., is the contracting activity (N61339-06-D-0015).

22 May 06. Foster-Miller Inc., Waltham, Mass., is being awarded a $63,919,415 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for operator and technician training, Talon spare parts, and new robots for the Robotic Systems Joint Project Office for use by the Joint Robotics Repair Facilities and imbedded repair teams deployed in support of contingency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan in support of the Global War on Terror. Work will be performed in Waltham, Mass., and is expected to be completed in May 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, Orlando, Fla., is the contracting activity (N61339-06-D-0013).