CAMBRIDGE, Mass., 10 May 2005. Frontline Robotics Inc. of Ottawa and White Box Robotics LLC of Pittsburgh today announced that they have agreed to merge the companies to pursue leadership in the emerging security robotics industry.
Frontline Robotics develops and markets the Robot Open Control (ROC), a robot operating system for teams of collaborative security robots. On April 19, Frontline announced that it had achieved real-time, cognitive-level collaboration between fully autonomous robots.
White Box Robotics has created the PC-Bot, a revolutionary mobile robot made from off-the-shelf personal computer parts. The PC-BOT delivers a functional and visually stunning mobile robotic platform for about the price of a good PC. On May 5, the Company announced that PC enthusiasts, robotics enthusiasts and educational institutions can now buy an affordable robot platform directly from the White Box web site.
The merger of these companies provides a strategic opportunity for market leadership in commercial security robotics. The ROC security brain is being hardened in homeland security/defense field trials, providing cognitive-level security mission planning and group situational awareness. Integration of the ROC onto the world's first robot made from off-the-shelf PC parts creates a functional security platform with commercial price points and supportability around the globe. This opens up an opportunity for commercial channels to government, business and home markets with security service companies and IT companies.
"Our merger with White Box Robotics brings together complementary technologies and robotics people with a common vision," said Richard Lepack, president and CEO of Frontline Robotics. "Our talent base, our intellectual property and our products give us the edge in staking out leadership in the high-growth opportunity of security robotics, from national defense to home security. Our doors are open for security OEMs to embrace first mover advantage."
"We're very excited about this strategic combination of companies and products," said Thomas Burick, president of White Box Robotics. "With our affordable commercial platform and defense-class robot operating system, we can deliver a truly functional and market-priced capability that no-one before us has been able to approach. We're ready to go from pioneering to growing revenues."
White Box Robotics is the creator of the PC-BOT, the world's first mobile robot made from off-the-shelf PC parts. Their patent-pending technology delivers flexible, affordable and visually stunning mobile robots for commercial and educational markets. For more information, see www.WhiteBoxRobotics.com.
Frontline Robotics is an innovator in collaborative machine intelligence. Their patent-pending technology, the Robot Open Control, is a Team Intelligence software platform for the control of teams of mobile robots performing coordinated missions in public security applications. The company is actively licensing the Robot Open Control to security, robotics and defense organizations, and is using commercial-off-the-shelf technology to deliver working robots to market. For more information, see www.Frontline-Robotics.com.
