10 Military Robots From The Company Behind The Roomba

The R-Gator is one of the more unique creations from iRobot. The company was formed in 2005 via a partnership with John Deere, and it mixes iRobot’s robotic smarts with John Deere’s ability to make a vehicle. Together, the two concocted an autonomous ground vehicle that could be driven manually or operated by remote control, similar to other iRobot bots. It is the largest item on this list and while it’s not technically a robot, it includes a lot of the same functionality and technology as the other bots on the list. It could be driven in six different ways: manual, teleoperation, waypoint, directional driving, playback, and silent sentry mode. 

The R-Gater, which is short for Robotic Gator, was made to serve in the same way as iRobot’s other bots. It would perform reconnaissance both on road and off road while relaying real-time video, sounds, and sensor readings to its operator. Since it was a vehicle, it could also autonomously shuttle supplies between rear supply points and forward operating positions while also carrying gear and injured soldiers around. Upgrades give it sensors that can detect hazardous materials, which allows it to be used on ordnance disposal missions as well. In silent sentry mode, the vehicle could keep its surveillance sensors on while turning off the engine, allowing the vehicle to quietly gather information. 

The R-Gator was built using John Deere’s M-Gator platform, which John Deere uses for its Gator lineup of utility vehicles. iRobot mostly provided the technology to make it autonomous along with the sensors, iRobot’s obstacle avoidance system, and other technology that iRobot had previously only stashed in its military robots.