iRobot preps pared-down PackBot for civilians

The Negotiator, another tactical mobile robot that can climb stairs, seems to be a pared down, civilian version of the PackBot. Like the PackBot, the Negotiator can climb stairs, work by remote control, and be outfitted with tools for reconnaissance and chemical detection. While some municipalities have adopted it, the PackBot hasn't exactly become a common sight at your local police station. It seems that iRobot has finally realized that the PackBot, while fine for military units with large budgets, was just too expensive for local government agencies to adopt. "We believe that the low entry price point for iRobot Negotiator will help make it accessible to local, state and federal agencies that would not have been able to afford a robot otherwise," Joe Dyer, president of iRobot's Government and Industrial Robots division, said in a statement.