Northrop Grumman Corporation’s subsidiary Remotec Inc. and Kinova Inc. have entered into a distribution agreement for the Kinova® Remote Robotic Manipulation System. This partnership delivers enhanced capability to Remotec customers, providing access to a best-in-class small manipulator for use as a tool/accessory on the Remotec Andros line of mobile robotic systems.
Under the agreement, Remotec will sell the Kinova product as a remote option on the Andros platform to the first responder and law enforcement market in the United States. Remotec will also provide customer service, training and technical support for this new capability.
“The improved dexterity afforded by this robotic arm was identified as a critical need by the first responder community, particularly for bomb and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD),” said Dan Verwiel, vice president and general manager, combat systems and mission readiness, Northrop Grumman. “This is a great opportunity and we are looking forward to offering an additional and innovative capability to the Andros line of robots.”
When deployed as a secondary, highly dexterous small arm, the Kinova Remote Robotic Manipulation System will enable more precise video-guided manipulation of potentially hazardous materials using the Remotec Andros platform. It will allow customers such as state and local EOD units to more safely and effectively perform delicate tasks, from unzipping a suspicious backpack to disabling a bomb.
“We are proud to partner with Remotec, the largest provider of robots to the first responder market,” said Francois Boucher, Kinova executive vice president. “These are complementary products that are better when paired together as an integrated system for significantly increased capability.”
Kinova is a global leader in professional robotic solutions. Kinova’s mission when founded in 2006 was to empower individuals with upper-body limitations through assistive technologies. Over a decade later, the company has evolved its solutions and product suite to service new markets — helping researchers, medical professionals, governments, businesses and educational institutions achieve their innovation goals through strategic partnerships and collaborative efforts.
Northrop Grumman solves the toughest problems in space, aeronautics, defense and cyberspace to meet the ever evolving needs of our customers worldwide. Our 90,000 employees define possible every day using science, technology and engineering to create and deliver advanced systems, products and services.