QinetiQ North America Develops Kit to Transform Bobcat Loaders into Robots

Temporarily 'Roboticizes' any Bobcat Loader with Selectable Joystick Controls
for Remote Operation

MCLEAN, Va., Aug. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- QinetiQ North America, makers of the
TALON(R) robots used extensively to defuse roadside bombs in Iraq and
Afghanistan, announced a new large-scale robotic capability today that it has
developed jointly with Bobcat Company, manufacturer of Bobcat(R) compact
loaders, in response to the increasing size and lethality of roadside bombs
and IEDs (improvised explosive devices).

QinetiQ North America's Technology Solutions Group has developed a kit that
can be installed in about 15 minutes on any of 17 models of Bobcat skid-steer,
all-wheel steer, or compact track loaders that are equipped with the
Selectable Joystick Controls (SJC) option. This temporarily turns the loader
into a remotely operated "robot" capable of using more than 37 Bobcat-approved
attachments. The loader can be sent down-range to handle large, deep-buried
IEDs that require actual excavation to dislodge or a bucket to lift and
remove. In Afghanistan, where there are reported to be more than 100 million
mines, Bobcat loaders could also be used to remotely render safe mines on
building sites.

Upon completion of a mission, the kit is removed and the machine reverts to
"in the seat" operation. The kit can be swapped from one SJC-equipped Bobcat
loader to another by the user, allowing the mission to dictate what size
machine to use along with what specific attachment works best.

The robotics kit for Bobcat loaders includes seven cameras, a microphone to
enable the remote operator to hear ambient sound from the cab, three different
CREW 2.1 compatible radio options, three control options (laptop, wearable and
table top), green and yellow warning lights to signal robotic engagement, an
anti-rollover warning system, and emergency manual shut off switches on the
vehicle and on the control panel that support remote restart.

The kit's hardened electronics are rated at 156 degrees F to handle the solar
load in places like Iraq and Afghanistan and have passed rigorous MIL-STD-810F
environmental testing. Cameras include five mounted on the roof, one in the
cab and one on the vehicle looking at the load. Night vision is provided by
IR Illumination and thermal imaging in addition to the white lights on the
Bobcat loader itself.

"Other companies have roboticized individual pieces of earth-moving equipment,
but until now, no one has created a universal kit that can quickly remotely
control any Bobcat SJC-equipped loader used in the rough manner the military
requires," said Dr. William Ribich, President of the Technology Solutions
Group. "The kit gives the warfighter and bomb disposal teams tremendous
flexibility in a cost-effective manner, given the low cost of the Bobcat
loaders manufactured in high volumes for civilian uses compared to customized
robots built in small numbers just for counter-IED activities."

"The versatility of the Bobcat loaders coupled with QinetiQ's expertise in
remote operations, makes for a great system. The pan/tilt camera positioned
where an operator's head is normally located, along with ambient sounds from
the loader, gives the user the sense of operating from the seat. Operators
quickly adapt to the different controllers available to make it an effective
combination," said Mike Melroe of Bobcat Company.

About QinetiQ North America
QinetiQ (pronounced "kinetic") North America delivers world-class technology
and responsive solutions to government agencies and commercial customers for
many of their most urgent and complex challenges. QinetiQ North America is an
independent, innovative technology provider that earns over a billion dollars
in revenue operating with small company speed and agility while leveraging
significant global resources. More than 6,400 QinetiQ North America
engineers, scientists and other professionals have the mission knowledge and
proven, reliable performance to meet the rapidly changing demands of national
defense, homeland security and information assurance customers. QinetiQ North
America is part of QinetiQ Group PLC, one of the world's leading defense and
security technology companies. For more information, please visit
www.QinetiQ-NA.com.

About QinetiQ North America Technology Solutions Group
QinetiQ North America's Technology Solutions Group, headquartered in Waltham,
MA, includes the businesses formerly known as Foster-Miller, Inc., Planning
Systems Incorporated, Automatika, Inc., Applied Perception, Inc., Spectro,
Inc., and the research and development activities of Apogen Technologies, Inc.
It is an 800-member technology and product development group with an
international reputation for delivering innovative products and systems that
perform under the most demanding conditions.

About Bobcat Company
More than 50 years ago, Bobcat Company unleashed a way to work better,
smarter, faster, with the introduction of the Melroe Self-Propelled Loader.
That machine evolved into the Bobcat skid-steer loader and spawned the
worldwide compact equipment industry. Bobcat Company, headquartered in West
Fargo, N.D., is part of Doosan Infracore International, a U.S.-based
subsidiary of Doosan Infracore, a global manufacturer of construction
equipment. For more information about Bobcat and its product lines, please
visit www.bobcat.com.

SOURCE QinetiQ North America

Cindy Black of QinetiQ North America, Technology Solutions Group,
+1-781-684-4093, cblack@foster-miller.com; or Mike Melroe of Bobcat Company,
+1-701-241-8778, mikemelroe@bobcat.com; or Matt Warnock of QinetiQ North
America, +1-703-752-6528 or +1-703-853-5511, Matthew.Warnock@QinetiQ-NA.com