EDINA, MN: ReconRobotics announced today that its international headquarters in Lugano, Switzerland, has closed the year with strong sales of micro-robot systems to military and police users in Norway, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Hungary and France, in addition to an unspecified country in the Middle East.

“Our robot sales were up more than 50% in 2012, and it is our international team that has led the way in the last quarter,” said Alan Bignall, President and CEO of ReconRobotics. “Military and counterterror teams around the world are recognizing that the unique reconnaissance capabilities of our Throwbot XT give them 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.”

The Throwbot XT weighs just 1.2lbs (540g), and can be thrown up to 120 feet (36m). It is also exceptionally quiet (operating at just 22 decibels) and is equipped with an infrared optical system that activates automatically when the ambient light is low, enabling the operator to see in complete darkness.

The micro-robot can be directed by the operator to quietly move through a structure and transmit video and audio to the handheld Operator Control Unit. These stealth capabilities can be utilized to locate armed subjects, confirm the presence of hostages or innocent civilians, listen in on conversations, and reveal the layout of rooms.

According to the MarketWatch, “more than 3,700 of [ReconRobotics’] micro-robot systems are deployed by the U.S. military and allied friendly forces, and by nearly 500 police tactical teams and bomb squads, worldwide. Nearly 2,000 of these robots are currently deployed with U.S. Army and Marine Corps fire teams in Afghanistan for use in urban warfare and compound clearing operations.”

ReconRobotics claims that nearly 4,000 of the company’s Recon Scout and Throwbot systems have been deployed. Operators use these throwable micro-robot systems to determine the layout of enclosed spaces, identify potential IEDs and fix the location of civilians or enemy personnel.

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