Chip designer Texas Instruments and iRobot Corp., a leader in robotic technology-based solutions, on Monday announced a partnership to develop robotic technologies using TI's smart multi-core OMAP platform.

The relationship stems from the companies' shared vision to create intelligent and practical robots capable of enhancing people's lives. The two companies will achieve this vision by leveraging iRobot's long history in advancing the field of robotics and TI's strength in applications processors and related technologies.

TI brings to the partnership the industry's leading applications processor technology captured in the OMAP platform: a high performing, ultra-power-efficient system-on-chip. The OMAP platform's smart multicore architecture sends processing tasks to cores and engines that can best do the job using the least amount of power possible. TI complements this fundamental computing experience with several unique features, such as sophisticated image and video accelerators, which may be required for future generations of utility robots.

With two decades of leadership in the robot industry, iRobot is a proven technology leader in remote presence and automated home maintenance solutions.  To date, iRobot has sold more than 7.5 million home robots worldwide, revolutionizing the way people clean both inside and outside the home.  More than 4500 combat-proven government and industrial robots have been delivered to military and civil defense forces worldwide, performing thousands of dangerous search, reconnaissance and bomb-disposal missions while protecting those in harm's way.

Tags: Texas Instruments, TI, OMAP, iRobot