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iRobot selects BlueCat Linux for robotic military vehicle's control, navigation and object avoidance systems

SAN JOSÉ, Calif., Feb. 1, 2006—LynuxWorks™ Inc. today announced it was chosen as the embedded operating system (OS) vendor of choice for the Military R-Gator™, an autonomous unmanned ground vehicle developed by iRobot Corp. and John Deere. iRobot is utilizing LynuxWorks' BlueCat® Linux®, a commercial-grade embedded operating system based on the Linux 2.6 kernel, to power the Military R-Gator's robotic control, navigation and object avoidance systems.

The R-Gator is built on the John Deere M-Gator™ military utility vehicle platform and enhanced with iRobot's proprietary robot technology. R-Gator is an intelligent, unmanned ground vehicle that can autonomously perform dangerous military missions including acting as an unmanned scout, "point man," perimeter guard, pack/ammo/supply carrier and more, for soldiers, marines and airmen.

Based on the Linux 2.6 kernel, BlueCat Linux is an implementation of the Linux model enhanced for use in embedded systems ranging from small consumer-type devices to large-scale, multi-CPU systems. With BlueCat Linux, iRobot can utilize a stable, reliable commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) embedded OS to get the R-Gator to market faster and cheaper than in-house or proprietary OSes.

"The iRobot John Deere R-Gator can perform treacherous and strenuous duties, keeping soldiers out of harm's way," said Vice Admiral Joe Dyer (U.S. Navy, Ret.), executive vice president and general manager, iRobot. "BlueCat Linux provides a stable, reliable operating system upon which iRobot can build the robot's crucial navigation and control applications."

"We continue to see Linux and open standards gain tremendous momentum into major application areas across the military, including the realm of mission-critical military systems," said Dr. Inder Singh, CEO and chairman of LynuxWorks. "Linux is rapidly becoming the leading de-facto open standard embedded platform in both commercial and military systems such as the iRobot R-Gator that require a high degree of interoperability and software reuse. BlueCat Linux meets iRobot's unique embedded software requirements while at the same time enabling them to get the John Deere R-Gator to market at a significantly lower cost."

About LynuxWorks

LynuxWorks is a world leader in the embedded software market, providing operating systems, software development products and consulting services for the world's most successful communications, aerospace/defense, and consumer products companies. Established in 1988, the company is a technology leader in the real-time operating systems (RTOS) industry. LynuxWorks' headquarters are located in San José, California.

LynuxWorks is a trademark and LynxOS and BlueCat are registered trademarks of LynuxWorks, Inc. Other brand or product names are registered trademarks or trademarks of the respective holders. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.

LynuxWorks press contacts

Kirsten Long Director, Marketing Communications LynuxWorks, Inc. USA +1 408-979-4404	Dave Reddy Weber Shandwick USA +1 650-868-4659	Peter van der Sluijs Neesham Public Relations Europe +44 1442-879222
Hamid Mirab Managing Director EMEA LynuxWorks Ltd. United Kingdom +44 208-906-9506	Elvia Soltero Weber Shandwick USA +1 408-685-0614