EDINA, MN. - SEPTEMBER 19, 2008 - ReconRobotics, Inc. today announced that it has introduced the Recon Scout IR reconnaissance robot - the world's first throwable, mobile robot with the capability of seeing in complete darkness. As with the standard Recon Scout model that was introduced in 2007, the Recon Scout IR will save lives by allowing the military and police to gain inside knowledge about dangerous and hostile environments before sending in their personnel. With the Recon Scout IR, SWAT and special warfare teams will now also be able to gain mission-critical information in situations where there is no ambient light. They can simply throw the Recon Scout IR through a window or doorway, or over a wall, then use the handheld Operator Control Unit (OCU) to move the robot through the dark environment. The new infrared optical systems on the robot automatically turn on when the ambient light is low, and immediately begin transmitting clear real-time video to the OCU video screen or a nearby command post.
According to CEO, Alan Bignall, the new Recon Scout IR will fill a big need in military and police operations. "The original Recon Scout has been a big success because it is small, tough and mobile, and it gives our police and military personnel the advantage of knowing the precise nature of dangerous situations," said Bignall. "This Know Before You Go capability saves lives and limits damage to property. Over the last year many of our customers have requested that we develop a Recon Scout that has the additional capability of seeing in total darkness, and our design and engineering teams responded with the Recon Scout IR. Now, even when operating in complete darkness, the good guys will have a big advantage because they’ll be able to see exactly what’s going on."
More than 100 police, security and military agencies worldwide already use the Recon Scout for tactical reconnaissance. It has proven itself many times in high-risk operations involving barricaded suspects, hostage rescue situations, room-clearing missions and narcotics raids. In tactical situations, SWAT teams send the robot in to determine the location of suspects and the layout of rooms, identify the types of weapons the suspects might have, and gain knowledge about the number, condition and locations of hostages. Armed with this information, tactical teams can plan with greater confidence and mitigate risks to its personnel and to hostages.
In addition, the Recon Scout is used in dignitary protection activities to inspect ventilation systems, confined spaces and vehicle undercarriages for explosives and other threats. It can also be sent in to provide reconnaissance of environments that might be contaminated with biological, radiological or chemical substances.
Like the Recon Scout, the Recon Scout IR’s unique performance characteristics make it ideally suited to the demanding task of real-time reconnaissance:
- Small: Its small size - just 7.4 inches and 1.2 lbs total weight - allows it to be carried in a pocket, on a vest or in a non-shooting hand for immediate access.
- Stealthy: A matte black finish that makes it extremely difficult to see, and it operates at a maximum of 20 decibels - far quieter than a whisper.
- Simple: To activate the Recon Scout IR, simply pull the pin, throw it into the environment and turn on the hand-held Operator Control Unit. IR optical systems automatically turn on when the ambient light is low. Total time: 10 seconds.
- Durable: Constructed with a titanium shell and toughened electronics, the Recon Scout can survive a horizontal throw of 120 feet and a vertical drop of 30 feet, and immediately transmit live video.
- Perceptive: Its black-and-white image sensor has a 60-degree field of view on both the horizontal and vertical axis, and it can transmit a 360-degree scan of a room in less than five seconds. It's IR illuminator clearly defines objects up to 25 feet away.
- Powerful: The Recon Scout IR can transmit live video more than 300 feet outdoors, and 100 feet indoors - through walls, doors and windows.
- Intuitive: The handheld OCU weighs just 1.7 lbs and has a 3.5-inch backlit video screen. Users easily control the movement of the Recon Scout IR robot using a thumb-controlled joystick on the front of the OCU.
The standard Recon Scout IR Kit includes two Recon Scout IR robots, a handheld Operator Control Unit, robot and OCU charging units and cables, and a padded traveling case. Also available is an optional Recon Scout Command Monitoring Station that allows commanders to receive and assess all video transmissions from the Recon Scout from up to 1,000 feet away. The Command Monitoring Station includes a high-gain YAGI antenna with tripod and mount, a video receive module with USB interface, software, coax cables and power cord.
