ReconRobotics wins U.S. Army order

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EDINA, Minn., Oct. 5 (UPI) -- ReconRobotics Inc. is supplying the U.S. Army Rapid Equipping Force with 315 Recon Scout XT micro-robot kits and an equal number of SearchStick devices.

The company expects to complete deliveries of the micro-robot systems, worth $4.8 million, by the end of this month.

"The era of the personal robot has arrived for U.S. troops and, like the ballistic vest and night vision goggles, our Recon Scout XTs will save many lives," said Ernest Langdon, director of Military Programs for ReconRobotics. "We are extremely proud that the U.S. military has chosen ReconRobotics to help protect our warfighters as they conduct dismounted operations in theater."

Recon Scout XT micro-robots are deployed at the fire-team level -- one robot for each four- to six-man fire team -- to maximize situational awareness and standoff distance during route and compound clearing operations.

The SearchStick enables warfighters to convert any Recon Scout Throwbot into a pole camera, which warfighters can use to see over compound walls, onto rooftops and into culverts.

More than 2,000 of the company's Recon Scout systems have been deployed by the U.S. military and international friendly forces and by hundreds of law enforcement agencies worldwide. Warfighters use the Recon Scout system to determine the layout of the enclosed spaces, identify potential improvised explosive devices and the fix the location of friendly, indigenous or enemy personnel.

Recon Scout XT weighs 1.2 pounds, can be deployed in 5 seconds and thrown up to 120 feet. It can be controlled with a single button and can be recharged in the field using standard 5590 or 2590 batteries.