ReconRobotics has announced that its international headquarters in Lugano, Switzerland, has closed the year (2012) 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 per cent 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 counter-terror teams around the world are recognising 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.”

About 4,000 of the company’s Recon Scout and Throwbot systems have been deployed by the US military and international friendly forces, and by hundreds of law enforcement agencies worldwide. 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. The Throwbot XT weighs 1.2 lbs (544 g) and can be deployed in five seconds and thrown up to 120 feet (36 m).