Economic Development News

Westminster Robotics Manufacturer Awarded $40 Million Army Contract

The U.S. Army has awarded General Dynamics Robotic Systems (GDRS) a contract with a total potential value of $40 million for productions of the robotic Mobile Detection Assessment and Response System (MDARS).

GDRS will manufacture the semi-autonomous security vehicles at their Westminster, MD production facility as well as provide spare parts, training and technical services for a five-year period.

Hawthorne Army Depot in Nevada will receive the first four robotic vehicles produced under this program.  Since 2005, the MDARS demonstration vehicles have been evaluated at the depot logging more that 8,000 hours and 28,000 miles of service.

MDARS autonomously conducts surveillance activities including checking for intruders, remotely investigating alarm sources, monitoring high-value inventory and assessing facility barriers such as the doors of storage bunkers.

MDARS is a diesel-powered, 4-wheel hydrostatic-drive vehicle, with a payload capacity of 500 lbs. The vehicle is equipped with a real-time obstacle avoidance system and 360-degree sensors. It can operate for 16 hours without refueling and at speeds up to 20 miles per hour.

“GDRS has taken MDARS from concept to full-scale production,” said Phil Cory, vice president of GDRS. “MDARS will minimize numerous physical burdens to Hawthorne’s human security while reducing their exposure to potentially deadly situations.”

GDRS is a division of General Dynamics Land Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics.

Source: GDRS website

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