Already boasting a strong growth rate, Edina-based
ReconRobotics is now poised for world domination.
The fast-track robotics company announced in June that it had established an international headquarters in Lugano, Switzerland, as part of a multi-year global expansion plan.
Just six months later, that office reported strong year-end sales of micro-robot systems to military and police customers in several European countries, including Germany, Hungary, and France.
Alan Bignall, ReconRobotics CEO, notes that robot sales were up more than 50 percent in 2012, with the international team leading the way in the last quarter. He adds that military and counterterror teams around the world are recognizing the unique capabilities of the company's mini-robots.
The company's mini-robots are particularly attractive to military and law enforcement, since they can be sent into dangerous situations and navigated remotely in order to collect intelligence. For example, a SWAT team can throw one into a house and use the robot's cameras to assess a hostage situation.
Nearly 4,000 of the company's Recon Scout and Throwbot systems have been deployed by military forces. The Throwbot XT weighs only 1.2 pounds and can be deployed in five seconds.
The momentum from domestic and international sales is likely to keep going strong, Bignall says: "The unique capabilities of our Throwbot XT give [our customers] a big tactical advantage during high-risk operations, and this is driving sales at a fast clip. We expect this trend to continue in 2013."
Source: Alan Bignall, ReconRobotics
Writer: Elizabeth Millard