It was quite a way to kick off a new year. Recently, Edina-based
ReconRobotics received a $13.9 million contract from the U.S. Army, in its largest order to date.
The company started in 2006 as a way to commercialize technology from the University of Minnesota's Distributed Robotics Laboratory (see previous Line coverage
here). At this point, the company's micro-robot systems are used around the world by military and police forces.
ReconRobotics employs 52 people, with 22 added in just the last year. CEO Alan Bignall says, "We'll be expanding in many ways: in orders for our current product, in research and development, and in hiring."
Growth is coming from several areas, he adds. First, there's the realization that personal-level robotics are becoming more common. He compares the devices to night-vision goggles, which were once rare in the law enforcement arena, but are now common. He expects that in the not-too-distant future, smaller robots will be standard for many military and law enforcement situations.
Also, demand is increasing in other areas, like healthcare and maintenance. Mini-robots might be used for shoveling your sidewalk, he notes, or even for babysitting.
"Imagine if I could have a robot watch my kids in the backyard and let me know if they stray too far," he says. "We'll find more and more uses for this technology, especially as we add capabilities like additional sensors. It's a very exciting time to be in this field."
Source: Alan Bignall, ReconRobotics
Writer: Elizabeth Millard