A recharging Home Base (TM), faster-charging
battery, longer run-time, and a remote control add extra convenience
to the iRobot Roomba Discovery line. PVHS is the only high school
selected for the 2005 National Qualifying Event (NQE) for DARPA's Grand
Challenge on September 27 in Fontana, California.

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----iRobot Corp. Purkayastha will drive new product development and
lead the engineering team in transforming innovative concepts into
market-ready products.

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"Indrajit's accomplishments are emblematic of iRobot's commitment
to remain on the cutting edge of consumer robotics and deliver
practical, affordable robots that make our customers' lives easier,"
said Colin Angle, co-founder and chief executive officer. Of
the Forty teams in the semifinals twenty will advance to the final rounds in
Barstow.
During the first two weeks in May, representatives from DARPA conducted
site visits to each of the one hundred and nineteen teams.
Last year, the Road Warriors successfully made it to the DARPA Grand
Challenge '04 in Fontana Speedway, and earned a tenth poll position in the
start line on March 12 in Barstow , California.

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"His
expertise in delivering innovative products to market will be
instrumental in bringing robots into the mainstream, as the robotic
industry continues to evolve over the next few years.com

The challenge is a 150-mile
field test of fully autonomous ground vehicles in the Mojave Desert to be held
on October 8, 2005.

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today announced that Indrajit Purkayastha has joined the company as
senior vice president of research and development for the Consumer
Robotics division. Purkayastha also holds eight patents and presented papers
at IEEE meetings.

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iRobot Names its First Senior VP of R+D for Consumer Robotics Division; Division Growth Reflects Ongoing Leadership in the Home Robotics Industry

Business Editors/High-Tech Editors

BURLINGTON, Mass .

About the Road Warriors
The Palos Verdes Road Warriors is a team of academically advanced, gifted
and motivated students at Palos Verdes High School, Los Angeles, California
(along with students from other schools), and is designing and constructing an
autonomous vehicle to enter the DARPA Grand Challenge '05.

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During his 27 years at General Electric, Purkayastha helped bring
more than 50 new products to market.

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About iRobot Corp.mil/grandchallenge .

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Aimed at advancing robotics technology for future military
use in order to save human lives, the DOD sponsored event has a purse of two
million dollars to whoever can finish the fastest in ten hours or less.

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The
second-generation iRobot Roomba Discovery line adds intelligent
cleaning technology, such as Dirt Detect(TM) that senses particularly
dirty areas and directs the robot to devote attention to that area
until it is clean. With the exception of PVHS, the rest of the teams are from major
universities and individuals from high technology companies. The team has been generously
sponsored by Power Acura of South Bay, American Honda, Northrop Grumman,
Boeing, Tonerland.pvrw.

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irobot. The Only High School to Make the Top 40 in Robotic Competition

PALOS VERDES ESTATES, Calif.
The project is divided into three groups: a Business group, Software
group and Hardware group.

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Infrared
sensors allow the robot to follow walls and prevent it from falling
down stairs , while bump sensors and an intelligent mapping algorithm
enable it to avoid obstacles and steer while cleaning a room. Over
the past 15 years, iRobot has developed and built innovative products
for the military, government security agencies, law enforcement and
the consumer marketplace.

Palos Verdes High School Road Warriors in 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge Semifinal Rounds

Many student members are mentored in extensive
computing and software design as well as business and finance by parents and
community members who have all volunteered time to review the work as it
progresses.

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The Consumer Robotics division is responsible
for the popular iRobot Roomba(R) Robotic Floorvac, which has sold more
than 1 million units."
The iRobot Roomba Robotic Floorvac is the most successful consumer
robot in history.

Additional information can be obtained at http://www.

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He held increasingly senior level leadership positions at
GE, from design engineer to general manager of new markets and
technology."
"Well before my arrival at iRobot, Roomba established the company
as a practical innovator and the leader in consumer robotics," said
Purkayastha.

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As head of GE Sensing's
Innovation Group, Purkayastha worked closely with consumers and idea
labs worldwide to deliver products tailored to the needs of GE
customers. Introduced in 2002, the iRobot Roomba's mix of
functionality and intelligent technology allows people to clean their
homes more efficiently and thoroughly than ever before. In 2003, co-founders Helen Greiner and Colin
Angle were named Ernst + Young regional Entrepreneurs of the Year for
their innovative work in technology.darpa.

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"I'm excited by the opportunity to collaborate with the
talented engineers and add my R+D and product development experience
to the company's tradition of innovation.

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Due to the demanding route, no
team completed the race.

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com
Additional information on the DARPA Grand Challenge is available at
http://www.

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"Now, our hard work will pay off as we prepare for the tedious and
exciting road ahead of us.

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, The Robotics team
from Palos Verdes High School (PVHS), The PV Road Warriors, was informed by
DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Office), the research arm of
Department of Defense (DOD), that they have been selected amongst a field of
119 teams as one of the 40 semifinalists.

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The 2004 Acura MDX,
Doom Buggy completed three mandatory runs, each under 34 seconds and an
optional freestyle demonstration, around the school 's football field dodging
barriers and negotiating a tight S curve, to advance to the semifinal rounds . The students, along with parents and community
mentors are fully committed to get the team at the start line in October,"
said Chris Seide, overall student team leader.

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For additional information about
iRobot, visit www. This year, the Road Warriors vowed to go the extra
mile and win the two million dollar prize.

Robotics Clubs, societies, etc.

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iRobot has a long commitment to building robotic products that
make living safer and easier for people in many walks of life.

com, Analog Devices, Black Fin, Gorilla Data Gear, NovAtel,
Customized Vehicles, Infinity Micro, AIAA , and IEEE to name a few, as well as
the local communities of Rolling Hills and Palos Verdes Estates .