Military Still Doling Out Orders and Getting Attention for Drones and Robots

By Frank Tobe | March 26, 2012

AeroVironment gets $11.1 million order for hand-launched 4-pound Raven UAV. Same company makes the kamikaze drone (Switchblade) which explodes on impact and the hummingbird drone (Nano Air Vehicle) which was one of Time Magazine’s 50 New Inventions of 2011.

Navy opens cutting-edge lab for robotics and autonomous systems in Washington DC. This is where the new fire-fighting and damage control robots are being developed and robotic fueling of unmanned vessels is being tested.

These research centers are big businesses – like the Undersea Warfare Center in Newport, RI which handles about $1.1 billion annually and awards 30% to nearby private contractors.

Really interesting infographic about drones from InnovationNewsDaily includes comparisons and a history of deployment beginning in 2001 for the 1st military action to 2011 in Texas for a civilian drug raid.

About The Author

Frank Tobe

Frank Tobe is the founder of The Robot Report and co-founder of ROBO Global which has developed a tracking index for the robotics industry, the ROBO Global™ Robotics & Automation Index. The index of ~90 companies in 13 sub-sectors tracks and captures the entire economic value of this global opportunity in robotics, automation and enabling technologies.