Army to get bomb-sniffing robots for chemical, biological and dirty bomb threats

OTTAWA – The Canadian military is spending nearly $10 million to acquire 20 high-tech robots meant to sniff out radioactive dirty bombs as well as chemical and biological weapons.

The deal was announced Monday by the U.S.-based company iRobot Corp. (NASDAQ: IRBT), which won the contract through an open tender.

The army’s bomb disposal teams have used small robotic vehicles in their efforts to find and dismantle roadside bombs and booby traps, but the devices did not have the capability to detect weapons of mass destruction, the kind terrorist groups such as al-Qaida have been trying to acquire.

Tom Phelps, iRobot’s director of robotic products, says the equipment the army is buying was heavily influenced by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The remotely-operated vehicles can enter buildings, climb stairs and generally operate in areas that may be unsafe for soldiers.

The robots are all expected to be delivered by next April.