ReconRobotics, Inc. announced this week that it has been awarded a series of contracts by the U.S. Army Rapid Equipping Force and the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) for 385 of its Recon Scout® XT micro-robot kits. Also included in these orders are a large number of Recon Scout SearchStick^TM devices, which can be used by warfighters to convert any Recon Scout Throwbot® into a pole camera. ReconRobotics plans to complete deliveries of these robot systems by August 30, 2011. This series of military orders signals an increasing emphasis on personal micro-robots that are deployed at the fire-team level – i.e., one robot for each four- to six-man fire team. Until now, the majority of deployed military robots have been Small Unmanned Ground Vehicles (SUGVs) that weigh 30 to 40 lbs and are typically deployed at the company level (80 to 200 soldiers) to assist in counter-IED missions. Nearly 2,000 of the company’s Recon Scout® Throwbot® systems have been deployed by the U.S. military and international friendly forces, and by hundreds of law enforcement agencies, worldwide. The company’s Recon Scout XT weighs just 1.2lbs (524g), and yet it can be deployed in five seconds and thrown up to 120 feet (36m). Like the warfighter’s ballistic vest, the miniature Recon Scout XT is a personal device that protects soldiers – in this case by maximizing their situational awareness and standoff distance. During dismounted operations, warfighters often encounter armed personnel or Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). The Recon Scout system mitigates risk to the warfighter by revealing the internal layout of the enclosed spaces, identifying potential IEDs and the fixing the location of (friendly, indigenous or enemy) personnel prior to making entry.