IRobot snaps up Nekton Research

IRobot Corp. will acquire Nekton Research LLC, a provider of unmanned underwater systems and technologies, for $10 million in cash.

The terms include an additional $5 million based on performance, iRobot officials said.

Nekton, of Durham, N.C., does business with the Office of Naval Research, Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Naval Air Systems Command and the U.S. Special Operations Command.

Nekton's Ranger unmanned underwater vehicle will be a strong complement to the Seaglider UUV that iRobot has licensed from the University of Washington, said Joe Dyer, president of iRobot's Government and Industrial Robots Division. "With these two UUVs, we will be better positioned to meet the needs of our customers."

Rick Vosburgh, Nekton's president and chief executive officer, has been appointed executive director of maritime systems at iRobot's new Maritime Programs office in Raleigh-Durham.

IRobot, of Bedford, Mass., designs and builds robotic intelligence systems that use advanced concepts in navigation, mobility, manipulation and artificial intelligence for commercial and government clients.