Army Taps Robotic Research for Shoe-Mounted Tracking Device

Robotic Research has secured a $16.5M contract for boot-mounted trackers that the U.S. Army intends to use for situational awareness in GPS-denied locations, Defense News reported Wednesday.

The company will apply its technical expertise to deliver the warfighter localization sensor unit, or WarLoc, a tool that will facilitate tracking among dismounted troops via positioning data.

Soldiers will use the tool’s positioning data to track teammates at places with little to no connectivity. The contract brings WarLoc to four brigade teams, with the first batch already shipped.

Alberto Lacaze, president at Robotic Research, told reporters WarLoc will allow soldiers to continue operations in cases of GPS jamming, tracker malfunction and being lost underground.

Based in Gaithersburg, Md., Robotic Research offers autonomous mobility and navigation capabilities to the defense and law enforcement sectors.