Israeli-U.S. company to sell Italy 40 combat robots in 10-mln-USD deal

JERUSALEM, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli-American company Roboteam will sell 40 combat TIGR robots to The Italian army for 10 million U.S. dollars, The Hebrew-language financial website "Calcalist" reported Wednesday.

The TIGR, a full-featured tactical ground robot, performs missions of intelligence and surveillance, explosive ordnance disposal and situational awareness.

Its 360-degree cameras can identify threats from a safe distance day and night. The robot's enhanced visual capabilities enable superior recognition of wires, IEDs (improvised explosive devices) and humans.

It is able to move in almost any possible surface conditions, such as snow, debris, rubble, water, mud, stairs, thicket and even subsurface.

The robot weighs 88 kilograms, including its manipulator. It is 91 centimeters long, 59 centimeters wide and 35 centimeters high.

Roboteam, which sells its products in 20 countries, was established in 2009 by two graduates of a special unit of The Israel Air Force. They also took part in The development of robotic systems for The Israeli army.

The company is headquartered in Israel's coastal city of Tel Aviv, as well as in GaiThersburg, Maryland and Windber, Pennsylvania, in The United States.