The InDro Evolution, Part II: Ground robotics and software

The InDro Evolution, Part II: Ground robotics and software

Aug 10, 2026 | InDro Solutions, Industry News, Innovation, Philip Reece, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

You can divide the evolution of Indro Robotics into two phases. The first focused heavily on drones, drone technology, innovative use-cases, and multiple Canadian and industry “firsts.” We wrote about that first stage, which spans 2014 to 2019, here.

We’ll now look at what’s happened since then. Specifically, the addition of ground robotics in addition to our UAV work. And once again, it’s a story filled with milestones.

Our broader robotics era really begins in 2019, when we sent a single person to work at Invest Ottawa’s Area X.O. Some of the big players, companies like Nokia and Blackberry QNX, already had offices there. But InDro came in lean, sharing office space with Nokia while working closely with the company on Area X.O’s Mobile Command Centre. That large vehicle uses a telescoping antenna to create a private cellular network, allowing secure Command and Control of drone (or ground robotics) missions in areas without networks.

Reece could see the potential of Area X.O as a full R&D headquarters: A private facility with roads dedicated to autonomous vehicles meant engineers could literally walk out the door and test new robots or drones. And so, on March 1st of 2021, InDro formally opened in its own space at Area X.O.

A key early hire was Peter King, who had broad industry expertise in successful drone and ground robotics companies. King (now VP at InDro and Founder and CEO of Cypher Robotics) assisted Reece in building the team at Area X.O.

“When the opportunity came to take lab space at Area X.O and become part of the drone and robot testing grounds, we jumped at the chance,” Philip Reece told BetaKit at the time. “We have already supplemented our team with several very talented engineers, and I am sure we will be adding more in the near future.”

That, it turns out, would be an understatement.

Below: An InDro employee at Area X.O’s ops centre soon after our move. Teleoperated drone and robotics missions can be controlled and monitored from this room. Image two: By 2023, InDro had a rapidly growing team at Area X.O

InDro Robotics

 THE ADDITION OF GROUND ROBOTICS

 

Before we get to ground robotics and autonomy, we should mention that our work on drones never slowed down. We continued to develop new models for extended range and specialised payloads, while advancing partnerships and remote operations using public and private 5G networks. We flew complex missions for clients in Saudi Arabia, built systems for a huge company in South America, and carried out multiple research initiatives in conjunction with universities like UBC and companies like Rogers and Ericsson. We hired aviation regulatory expert and crewed flight instructor Kate Klassen (who has trained more than 10,000 drone pilots online), as well as Dr. Eric Saczuk, a remote imaging expert who also leads the British Columbia Institute of Technology’s RPAS Hub and has flown some of the most complex drone missions imaginable.

But we were also pursuing a parallel pathway: Ground robotics. We knew we could leverage our drone expertise in remote teleoperation, sensor integration and custom builds. So it was really more of a transition of those skills onto ground robotic platforms, along with the steady hiring of exceptionally good engineers from multiple disciplines. For those ground platforms, we secured a distribution deal with AgileX, China’s leading multi-platform robotics company and Unitree. We were soon building custom robots for industrial, academic and R&D clients – and developing our own new proprietary products we could sell (many of which you can find on our InDro Store).

On the latter front, we initially identified remote asset inspection/surveillance and last-mile delivery as emerging markets. We designed and built our first Sentinel inspection robot (now in its third iteration), and our first ground delivery robot, ROLL-E. It was deployed in partnership with a London Drugs location in Victoria for curbside pickup during the COVID pandemic.

With a motto of Invent, Enhance, Deploy, we took on increasingly complex builds, including a multi-robot contract with one of the planet’s largest technology companies. We also designed what would become one of our signature products, InDro Commander.

It’s a platform-agnostic EDGE device that holds the ROS2 libraries and allows for the seamless integration of new sensors by simply plugging them into that powerful box. It also contains the secure, front-end software (InDro Controller) that allows missions to be intuitively planned, executed and monitored. Commander quickly became popular with universities and R&D companies who wanted to rapidly integrate their own robots and quickly proceed to research. We also developed our popular InDro Autonomy software stack.

Below: The InDro Commander module with the InDro Autonomy Stack onboard AgileX platforms. Video: Head of R&D Sales Luke Corbeth highlighting an InDro-modified Unitree humanoid robot at Area X.O’s annual GCXpo event. You’ll notice that humanoid has a “backpack.” That device is InDro Commander (with InDro Controller onboard) in a different form factor. We’ve also modified the humanoid to enable not only remote teleoperation, but VR teleoperation using handsets and a 4K resolution headset

Robot development kit

Industry 4.0 and dual-purpose innovations

 

While continuing custom builds for researchers and industrial clients, InDro has pushed the envelope substantially over the past few years. Specifically, we’ve been developing products for the world of Industry 4.0, where automated and interconnected devices result in vast efficiencies in settings ranging from warehouses to factories to long-range ground and aerial data acquisition and delivery.

Some of the many highlights include:

  • InDro Cortex, a vastly smaller version of InDro Commander, along with more powerful and intuitive iterations of InDro Controller. We’ve also integrated these into a VR humanoid.
  • Developing and deploying InDro Prowler, an exceedingly powerful wheeled quadruped for surveillance and security inspection that sets a new standard for value
  • Serving as technology incubator for Cypher Robotics, helping to develop a tethered drone/AMR system for cycle counting in large warehouses

Another absolutely key accelerator for InDro over the past few years was the launch and subsequent expansion of InDro Forge, our custom fabrication and integration facility.

It houses a full suite of tools for professional fabrication including CNC, water jet table, PCB design – and a plethora of specialized 3D printers that include bigrep ONE, capable of printing objects up to one cubic metre in size (along with all the requisite expertise). We build products for clients there, and integrate our own robots at the site, complete with custom metal and composite work. Forge has been scaling since we began, and has now evolved into a small and growing factory.

 

OUR NEXT BIG THING(S)

 

We can’t provide too many details yet, but we are currently hard at work on three highly ambitious projects. We are going to roboticize the world’s longest-range vehicle – a diesel-electric hybrid capable of 7,000km on a single tank of fuel. It has multiple use-cases, including disaster response in areas with damaged infrastructure, data acquisition and surveillance for sovereignty purposes, wildlife monitoring and protection – and much more. We are also hard at work on Obsidian, a smaller AWD hybrid for multiple use-cases in inhospitable terrain.

We are, at the same time, extensively modifying a very large, long-range drone for highly specialised missions. It can carry both sensors and other payload, and is capable of flying in extreme conditions that would ground most traditional aircraft. More on that down the road.

Below: The multi-purpose, 7,000km vehicle we’re transforming into a robot, followed by the largest drone we’ve yet to work with. InDro Founder/CEO Philip Reece is second from left in the drone photo

Fering
Terrain Drone

INDRO’S TAKE

 

So many milestones, so little time. We didn’t even mention our latest research robot, Axiom. But it’s a cost breakthrough for those doing Physical AI R&D involving humanoids, and its extendible torso allows researchers to position the robot’s arms for high reach, low reach, and everything in between.

There’s a reason we mention Axiom here, one of our most budget-friendly robots. In fact, we’ll drop a picture of it in a second. That’s because, despite the major projects we’ve carried out and are currently working on, InDro still maintains its roots: Inventing, building and testing highly useful tools that help researchers develop algorithms and use-cases that elevate the entire industry.

“It has been quite a journey so far, and an immensely satisfying one,” says InDro’s Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “From a single employee at Area X.O back in 2019, we have scaled significantly, taking on ever-more complex projects for major clients and government departments, while still providing new and affordable innovations for those in the academic and R&D worlds.

“A broader vision for InDro has helped guide the way. But none of this would have been possible without a highly dedicated and skilled team – people who have yet to encounter a problem they aren’t willing and eager to solve. We have done our best to carve a clear, ethical and forward-looking path. So from here, it’s onward: We will continue to invent, enhance, deploy – and scale.”

Below: Axiom. Highly functional, with a very low cost. We’ve included Robotics Hardware Engineering Intern Justin Luo both for scale, and because he put in a lot of hard work on this project

Meet the New InDro Axiom Humanoid-Style Research Robot

Meet the New InDro Axiom Humanoid-Style Research Robot

Jul 23, 2026 | InDro Axiom, InDro News, InDro Solutions, Industry News, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

We’ve released a new robot – and it’s unlike anything we’ve built before.

The new InDro Axiom is a budget-friendly and flexible platform for those doing Physical AI R&D involving humanoid-style robots with arms. It’s designed to make advanced robotics more accessible to researchers, academic institutions, and industry.

Created in response to growing demand for affordable humanoid development tools, Axiom provides many of the capabilities researchers require for manipulation, simulation, and autonomy development — without the cost or complexity associated with fully bipedal humanoid systems.

“We describe Axiom less as a robot and more as a research solution with exciting industrial implications,” says Luke Corbeth, InDro’s Head of R&D Sales. “It’s a budget humanoid — an adaptable, modular approach to Physical AI. It gives researchers a way to collect data, develop skills, and build toward autonomous deployment using one flexible system.”

Below: The human-height Axiom alongside Robotics Hardware Engineering Intern Justin Luo 

TELESCOPING TORSO

 

Those doing research with humanoids – and ultimately deploying them in the real world – need a platform with arms. And those arms might need to reach something high, low, or in-between. Axiom can handle them all.

Axiom features a unique form factor that includes a telescoping torso, caster-wheel base, dual shoulder-mounted robotic arms, and a top-mounted depth camera. Users can move the platform to wherever the research or work needs to take place. The adjustable torso enables Axiom to function across a wide range of environments – from tabletop tasks to higher interactions such as cabinets, shelves, or door handles. Customers can select their own robotic arms and end effectors. If you already have robotic arms, you can purchase a base model with depth camera for $4,000 US and integrate your own hardware.

Axiom is aimed at robotics researchers exploring Physical AI — the emerging field where artificial intelligence moves beyond software and into machines that carry out tasks in the physical world.

“Physical AI is what happens when you give an intelligent system the ability to perceive and act,” says Corbeth. “Instead of generating answers like an AI chatbot, the system learns to actually perform tasks in the real world.”

 

UPGRADES AVAILABLE

 

To maximize accessibility, Axiom can operate as a standalone development platform using a researcher’s existing computer workflow. For more advanced applications, it can be equipped with InDro Cortex for onboard compute and connectivity, along with InDro Controller for visualization, simulation, remote operation, and advanced autonomy development.

The platform expands to match your needs. Axiom can be integrated onto an Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) base, adding omnidirectional movement and creating a fully mobile manipulation research platform which could ultimately be deployable.

Corbeth says the timing for Axiom is perfect.

“Physical AI is one of the most exciting frontiers in robotics right now,” he says. “This isn’t science fiction anymore – it’s happening today in labs around the world. Axiom is another way InDro is helping enable that future.”

Below: Axiom’s adjustable torso means the robot swiftly be set to different heights

INDRO’S TAKE

 

Axiom grew from customer demand, and three units have already shipped. A typical system with two highly capable arms runs about $19,000 USD and, when equipped with InDro Cortex and InDro Controller, about $28,000 USD.

“Researchers have told us they want to work on humanoid-style development, but a $60,000 to $100,000 system simply isn’t realistic for many teams,” says Corbeth. “Axiom creates a much more accessible pathway.”

InDro Founder and CEO Philip Reece is pleased the company can offer such an affordable platform for research.

“Physical AI is already much more than a buzzword,” he says. “Axiom now allows academic and R&D companies to affordably develop algorithms and other innovations that will fully enable the next generation of humanoid-style robots.”

For more information about InDro Axiom, contact Luke Corbeth.

InDro Cortex, Controller open a near limitless world of robotic possibilities

InDro Cortex, Controller open a near limitless world of robotic possibilities

Jun 10, 2026 | Defence Industrial Strategy, InDro Controller, InDro Cortex, InDro Solutions, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

We were tempted to use the word “infinite” in the headline above.

Because really, when it comes to customising a robot or industrial drone into pretty much any configuration, our InDro Cortex (hardware) and InDro Controller (software) can handle the task. A one-off wheeled quadruped for autonomy research at an academic institution? Check. A humanoid carrying out pick-and-place work in a factory setting? Check. A wheeled or tracked ground robot carrying out regular autonomous inspections on remote assets? Check, check, and check.

Once you factor in the growing number of sensors, platforms and use-cases, the potential combinations run into the thousands (if not more). We are pleased to confidently state that the synergy of InDro’s Cortex and Controller can handle virtually all of them.

Why so confident? Let’s find out.

Above: A fleet of AgileX platforms, all outfitted with InDro Cortex, InDro Controller, and multiple sensors before shipment to a client. Below: The tiny but powerful Cortex

InDro Cortex Robot Developer Kit for Autonomous Robots and Drones

WHAT IS INDRO CORTEX?

 

The simple answer is that it’s an incredibly powerful yet very small brain box and sensor interface that can be mounted on any robotic platform. It can transmit data over 5G networks with imperceptible lag and receive instructions from a remote operator. Measuring 11cm x 14cm x 10cm, and weighing a mere 679 grams, Cortex has been designed from the ground up – including custom PCBs – by our engineering team. It’s platform-agnostic, meaning you can use it with virtually any robotic framework.

Sensor integration – and the fusion of sensor data – is a breeze, With multiple I/O and power options, you simply plug & play. That’s because Cortex is preloaded with ROS2 Humble, which contains all the software tools, libraries, drivers, and communication protocols that allow for near-instant integration of any and all sensors. Power supply for those sensors is provided by Cortex (which is powered by the platform itself).

Looking for the compute required for seamless sensor fusion and demanding AI applications? You’ve got it: Our base Cortex comes with a processor capable of 100 TOPS (trillions of operations per second). If your use-case or application demands more powerful compute, we’ll happily upgrade that to your requirements.

Running on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS paired with ROS2 means Cortex is ideally suited for robotics work. That duo have become the standard for most robotics companies, R&D organisations and academia. (LTS, by the way, stands for Long-Term Support, meaning Cortex receives regular security, maintenance and other Ubuntu updates as they’re released).

For communication, Cortex ships with a small but powerful 5G modem, allowing you to remotely control your robot (and see all the data) with nearly imperceptible lag. It can operate on public or private 5G networks, as well as over WiFi. Clients sometimes purchase Cortex and Controller (which we’ll get to shortly) as a standalone and integrate their own robots. Others buy the pair as part of a custom robotics package we design and integrate. Several years of intense research have gone into building Cortex – which is now one of InDro’s core products.

Below: Just one example of a potential package where all sensors integrate with Cortex, though we frequently build far more complex systems. Image two shows the multiple I/O options that come on our standard Cortex

InDro Cortex Robot Developer Kit for Autonomous Robots and Drones

CORTEX AND CONTROLLER – A PERFECT PAIR

 

Imagine our Cortex hardware as a Formula One car. Now picture InDro Controller software as the driver and pit crew.

While InDro Cortex processes vast quantities of data at high speeds, InDro Controller allows you to see that data and control the robot. Using a highly secure desktop interface created by our front-end development team, Controller offers an intuitive dashboard that allows you to carry out operations in three ways: Manually, autonomously with pre-programmed waypoints, and even in GPS-denied environments using LiDAR SLAM or vSLAM.

With multiple sensors running on a given robot (or drone), the dashboard allows you to easily move and size windows for data display and location. You can program waypoints at the click of a mouse, and have a robot carry out specific tasks at each waypoint. For example, you could have a PTZ camera tilt and zoom in on a specific gauge to read it, or stop and check on a component where a temperature change might indicate trouble. You can save endless missions and set them to run automatically at desired intervals.

The InDro Controller software lives onboard Cortex; you simply type in the URL associated with your robot and the encrypted login display pops up.

Our InDro Autonomy software stack is optional (though popular). But, as with Ubuntu LTS, users can rely on long-term support and upgrades from InDro. If we tweak something to improve a feature of InDro Controller (or any of our other software stacks), clients get that upgrade. InDro stands behind its products and ensures our users can maximise their potential.

Below: Just one of many custom views on the InDro Controller dashboard

Custom Integrated Robots

INDRO’S TAKE

 

You’ve heard the metaphor – the one about “standing on the shoulders of giants.” In this case, Cortex is the logical successor to our highly successful InDro Commander. Released more than three years ago, Commander was a breakthrough in simplifying the integration of R&D robots and for custom builds. Now, after several years of work, Cortex is the logical successor. It’s smaller, more powerful, and comes with the highly evolved InDro Controller.

“Cortex is the result of a tremendous amount of R&D from our Area X.O engineering team,” says InDro Robotics Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “It not only greatly simplifies building complex robots, but can vastly enhance robotic platforms ranging from engineering research robots through to military defence platforms. It, along with Controller, will be core InDro products for many years to come.”

To learn more about InDro Cortex and Controller, drop a line to our Head of R&D Sales, Luke Corbeth. He’s a no-pressure pro who loves talking about use-cases and solving problems.

InDro Controller, Cortex and VR Humanoid push the envelope

InDro Controller, Cortex and VR Humanoid push the envelope

Mar 26, 2026 | Humanoids, InDro Solutions, Scott Simmie, VR Humanoid

By Scott Simmie

 

We’ve all seen the videos on LinkedIn or elsewhere by now: A humanoid robot, doing incredible gymnastic feats. Or perhaps it’s toiling away in a factory, moving boxes from one location to another – maybe even tightening a bolt. They’re not AI videos – they (or at least most of them) are indeed real.

They leave an indelible impression – that a humanoid can simply be dropped into a complex environment and immediately get to work on its own. That day will undoubtedly come, but it’s at least several years down the road. And so while those videos are real, they’re not actually realistic. The actions these robots are carrying out represent countless hours of coding and simulation work for each and every specific task. Humanoids are definitely not “Plug And Play” – and won’t be for quite some time.

For InDro, that gap between existing capabilities and the demand for humanoids that can do more represented both a challenge, and an opportunity. What if, we thought, we could create a system where a human being could remotely control a humanoid with a highly intuitive interface? What’s more, what if we could use that system to easily train a humanoid to carry out those same tasks in the future completely on its own?

That’s precisely what we did. Using a combination of our InDro Cortex brain-box, our InDro Controller software interface, and a Virtual Reality headset and hand controllers (plus a lot of our own coding), we’ve developed a system that allows a humanoid to be fully operated by a human being who can see what the robot sees in 3D. This not only allows these modified humanoids to be put to use in an environment where you wouldn’t want to send people – but can be used to train the humanoid to carry out repeatable tasks autonomously in future.

We recently demonstrated these capabilities at the big Mobile World Congress in Spain. Ericsson invited us to display as a way to highlight the power that its private 5G networks enable. Below, Head of R&D Sales Luke Corbeth explains the basics.

INDRO’S VR HUMANOID

 

Trying to control a stock humanoid with a factory remote is usually a challenging and non-intuitive task. It can be cumbersome, frustrating work.

Now picture instead donning a 4K Virtual Reality headset and holding hand controllers. You can see what the robot is seeing. The arms follow where your arms move. The hands clasp when you want them to; the wrist articulates. And if you want even finer control over the hands, there’s another option we’ve programmed.

“We support hand tracking as well, so you could ditch the controllers and have the headset track your hand movements and finger positions themselves,” explains InDro’s Front End Developer, RJ Bundy. In other words, the headset’s camera translates your precise hand and finger movements directly into action on the humanoid. What’s more, you can monitor multiple data streams through the headset using Augmented Reality.

Already, we have clients putting these humanoids into hazardous environments.

“We’re seeing strong interest from places like nuclear sites, where you don’t necessarily want to send in a person. It’s a powerful tool for remote telepresence, allowing experts to step into wherever they need to be without actually having to physically be there.”

What’s more, the actions carried out by the human can be used to train the robot to carry out such tasks autonomously down the road.

“Every teleoperative movement can be recorded as motion data,” says Bundy. “We then use that data to train the robot so it learns context, balance – the nuances of real human motion. And then, over time, those recordings help accelerate our autonomy. It allows the robot to repeat tasks more independently without a human having to control it every time.”

The VR humanoid is an impressive step on the road to full autonomy. And it’s made possible by two other InDro innovations.

 

INDRO CORTEX, INDRO CONTROLLER

 

InDro is known for our custom robotic builds for industry, research, defence and more. Nearly every single robot (or drone) that leaves our manufacturing facility is outfitted with both InDro Cortex and InDro Controller. (The rare occasions when they’re not are when researchers want to test or build their own solutions.)

InDro Cortex is a very small, very powerful AI compute unit we integrate with the robot and its various sensors. It comes pre-loaded with InDro Controller software, which is our interface with the robot, allowing you to carry out everything from manually controlled missions through to fully autonomous missions, including Simultaneous Localisation And Mapping (SLAM) in unfamiliar environments. We have four tiers of Controller available, depending on use-cases. InDro Controller also enables ultra low-latency operations over 5G, meaning you can operate a robot or drone remotely anywhere there’s a cellular signal (or local WiFi network).

With powerful AI and Machine Vision capabilities, Cortex is the brain behind our devices, including the VR humanoid. With Controller onboard, you simply log in via an encrypted browser. Data from every sensor onboard is at your fingertips in the intuitive console. Want to program a robot for a regular surveillance or asset monitoring mission? It’s simple, including having the robot stop at particular points of interest to inspect gauges, measure temperatures, etc. Need to add an additional sensor? Cortex provides power distribution, sensor fusion, and can instantly detect and integrate any ROS 2-enabled sensor, saving countless hours of integration hassle for clients.

It’s the incredible power – and synergy – of Cortex and Controller that enable all of our powerful robots. And those two provided the foundation which enabled (with a lot of dedicated engineering) our new VR humanoid. It can be put to use immediately with intuitive manual control, learning the tasks it can one day carry out autonomously.

Below: InDro Cortex and InDro Controller also power our new surveillance and inspection quadruped, Prowler. It’s available as shown for $50k CAD and autonomously returns after missions to wirelessly recharge

INDRO’S TAKE

 

We received incredible feedback at the Mobile World Congress in Spain for our VR humanoid. Attendees instantly understood the ease of operation – and the gap this product fills as we advance toward completely independent, fully autonomous humanoids that will one day be working alongside humans in multiple settings.

“I’m extremely pleased with our Area X.O engineering team and the work it has accomplished in making this VR humanoid a reality,” says InDro Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “We have already shipped to a client for hazardous environment operations, with other VR humanoids being integrated as we speak. It’s a great example not only of the power of Cortex and Controller – but also our ability to build upon these innovations in new and highly useful ways.”

A Security Robot With Superpowers for $50k: Meet Prowler

A Security Robot With Superpowers for $50k: Meet Prowler

Feb 11, 2026 | InDro Cortex, InDro Prowler, InDro Solutions, Industry 4.0, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

It wasn’t long ago that purchasing a reliable, robust robot for routine inspection and security patrols could easily cost you $200,000. That was obviously a fair chunk of change – and a pretty substantial barrier to entry for many companies.

InDro’s new Prowler changes the game. Capable of either remote teleoperation or fully autonomous, repeatable missions, Prowler’s wheeled quadruped platform can go just about anywhere: Up and down stairs, over obstacles – it can even clamber over low fences. With 360° high-def video and an ultra-wide LiDAR (360° x 90°), Prowler spots everything in (and even behind) its path.

“Prowler has extremely dynamic terrain traversal capabilities and it’s outfitted to be both tele-operated and also run autonomous missions,” explains Luke Corbeth, InDro’s Head of R&D Sales. “It captures photos, video, can conduct two-way audio – and perform many other functions. So it’s suited to a wide variety of verticals.”

Think construction sites or factory floors. Museums or shopping malls. Truly, Prowler is suitable for pretty much any situation where you might want a 24/7 security guard keeping a close watch on things,

Below: The InDro Prowler, a highly modified wheeled quadruped purpose-built for security and monitoring purposes. 

Prowler

POWERED BY CORTEX

 

The platform and sensors are one thing. But what really gives Prowler the edge is our Cortex brain-box. The InDro device contains very powerful compute and AI capabilities, and allows for the seamless integration of additional sensors, including power distribution. Contained within our InDro Backpack, Cortex comes with our InDro Controller interface pre-loaded, 5G and 4G connectivity, as well as WiFi 6.

That means Prowler can be remotely tele-operated from pretty much anywhere. A human in the loop can monitor and control Prowler’s missions, seeing all data (including realtime video and LiDAR data) with imperceptible lag. InDro Autonomy, our powerful software stack that enables everything from pre-programmed to SLAM missions, can be added on as an option. Prowler comes ready for wireless charging, and can snug up at its home base to be ready for the next mission. And if a client wants to add additional sensors, it’s a snap.

“Absolutely. This has incredible functionality out-of-the-box, but we don’t want the road to stop there,” says Corbeth. “So we still provide the development tools that our clients are accustomed to receiving from us. But the amount of functionality that comes with Prowler is really what makes this an intriguing solution.”

 

OPTIONS FOR ANY USE-CASE

 

Prowler comes with ultra-wide hemispherical LiDAR, a top-mounted 360° camera (with seamless stitching), a forward-facing HD camera, and two-way audio for communicating with anyone it encounters. Prefer a Point-Tilt-Zoom camera or thermal option? No problem. Prowler can be configured in multiple ways, depending on your use-case. We can even pop on a powerful spotlight.

And while Prowler is already highly capable, we plan to add additional features in future that leverage its powerful AI and Machine Vision capabilities.

“Think person detection, animal detection, various other features that turn what the robot is seeing into actionable intelligence – and even actions as well,” says Corbeth. “So down the road, Prowler could send text messages to security teams, perhaps notifying local authorities, things of that nature.”

Weighing just 20 kilograms, Prowler can take on additional eight kilos in payload. And when it’s on a flat surface, this robot zips along at 2.5 metres/second (nine kilometres/hour) on missions that can last as long as 2.5 hours before returning to self-charge. Whether it’s monitoring a critical asset, doing routine security and perimeter runs, Prowler is a robust, powerful and affordable solution. You can find full specs on our package and options here.

Below: This video gives you an idea of the kind of terrain Prowler can tackle.

INDRO’S TAKE

 

This robot contains multiple InDro innovations, including our new and powerful Cortex, as well as InDro Controller, which makes tele-operation (and autonomous missions, with the optional InDro Autonomy software) a breeze. A lot of engineering has gone into these products, and they’ve been designed to work together. Deployments of Prowler are now underway, and we’re taking additional orders. 

“Prowler fills a void in the marketplace,” says InDro Robotics Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “I’m not aware of any inspection robot with these capabilities at this price point – other than Prowler. Once again, the InDro R&D engineering team has created a groundbreaking solution suited to multiple use-cases, with the option to further customise for client needs. Prowler means business – and in more than one way.”

Want to continue the conversation or arrange for a demo? Contact Luke Corbeth here.

Adopting inspection robots: Perceived barriers and solutions

Adopting inspection robots: Perceived barriers and solutions

Dec 2, 2025 | InDro Solutions, Industry 4.0, Industry News, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

Some companies – and we’ve built for them – have plunged head-first into the adoption of industrial inspection robots. They’re perfect for routinely inspecting assets like electrical substations, refineries, construction sites – the list goes on (and on). InDro robots are currently hard at work on multiple sites – and in more than one country.

Yet still, some potential clients hesitate.

So we thought we’d take the pulse with a survey. Here’s the question we asked, via LinkedIn: “Which of the following challenges do you think is the biggest barrier preventing companies from adopting industrial inspection robots?” Here were the choices:

  • Initial investment
  • Integrating existing systems
  • Terrain/environment challenges
  • Power and endurance

And here…are the results:

Inspection Robot survey

PERCEPTIONS…AND SOLUTIONS

 

So let’s tackle those concerns.

Initial investment is holding back 20 per cent of respondents from taking the plunge. Fair enough. Robots aren’t cheap. A fully customised solution with multiple sensors capable of regular, autonomous inspections in a demanding environment has traditionally cost $100k+ (and still can). Clients wonder if the investment will result in a positive ROI.

“With any new technology tackling any new use-case, it can be challenging to build an ROI calculation right out of the gate because you can’t truly know until you get it out in the field and and are able to use it in the actual desired use-case,” says Head of R&D Sales Luke Corbeth.

But he points out that many clients, once they have purchased a robot, discover that it not only offers ROI for the intended task, but that it can handle ancillary use-cases they hadn’t even considered at the outset. That, he says, has resulted in greater return on investment than some clients initially calculated. The other factor Luke points out is that the last couple of years have seen more powerful solutions appear at lower price points.

“Even two years ago, if you wanted a system capable of multi-level inspection, you had to go with an industrial-sized robot, right? You needed something like the Unitree B2 or Boston Dynamics Spot. Those would run you six figures before you even outfit it with software, cameras, acoustic sensors etc.” says Corbeth.

 
By contrast, highly agile and capable machines like the Go2-W (a wheeled quadruped that InDro can modify for any use-case) is much more affordable, allowing clients to invest even as a proof-of-concept. (The Go2-W, seen below, is capable of handling even the most demanding terrain, including stairs, steep inclines, and debris. It can even climb over short fences.)
wheeled quadruped

INTEGRATING EXISTING SYSTEMS

 

This, according to our survey, was the biggest stumbling block. A full sixty per cent of respondents identified this as a barrier to adopting industrial inspection robots. In all likelihood, these are companies that have legacy systems in place that have served them well – and the perceived complexity of integrating a new robot seems daunting. As Corbeth puts it: “Change is inherently hard.”

But there are solutions – ways for newer robots to capture and integrate data into existing systems, even if they are somewhat dated. Yes, there may be friction. But it’s not the barrier some perceive. InDro’s systems are Open Source/Open Architecture, allowing in-house engineers (or our own) to easily customise the software so the data and your existing system can co-exist in harmony.

Some sectors also use what’s known as “vertical specific” software, meaning systems built for say, the Oil and Gas sector, warehouses (WMS), mining, etc. But that’s not the roadblock some may perceive, says Corbeth.

“As long as the client is willing to expose an API (Application Programming Interface) to us, it’s relatively easy to point all of the data there. So instead of that data being manually collected and uploaded, now it’s automatically captured through autonomous missions and then automatically uploaded over whatever communications infrastructure the client already has.”

Understanding existing client systems and integration concerns is a key part of our discovery process with new clients. We ensure, from the outset, that integration will be as seamless as possible.

 

TERRAIN, POWER, ENDURANCE

 

None of the respondents indicated terrain was an issue. And perhaps that’s not a surprise. The latest generation of platforms, particularly wheeled quadrupeds like the Go2-W, can glide or clamber over just about anything. Tracked platforms can handle mud and snow. There are solutions for virtually every terrain.

Power and endurance are another matter. No one wants an inspection robot that can’t finish the job. In fact, twenty per cent of those who voted in our survey identified this as a concern. And who wants the hassle of plugging something in to recharge after a mission?

The reality is that there have been gains in both power and endurance with the latest generation of platforms. What’s more, InDro can customise any robot to autonomously dock with a wireless charging station so it’s ready for the next mission with no human intervention. Says Corbeth: “It’s pretty much a non-issue at this point.”

With all that being said, there are some unrealistic expectations out there, fuelled by slick videos – particularly of humanoid robots – doing amazing things. If you think you can just buy a humanoid and it’s going to be picking tomatoes the next day while interacting with human beings, think again. Modifying humanoids to flawlessly carry out human tasks takes a lot of work. But many use-cases (particularly for non-humanoid robots) are what Corbeth describes as “low-hanging fruit” – meaning tasks that have massive value implications, are easy to integrate, and get the job done.

“That’s where the sweet spot is,” he says.

Below: Our answers to concerns about integration in a slide format.

INDRO’S TAKE

 

We feel this survey was a useful exercise. It identified common barriers, and gave us an opportunity to set the record straight. The perceived obstacles aren’t really obstacles at all – but engineering challenges. And that’s where InDro excels.

“InDro has built many inspection robots for clients, some of whom had the same initial concerns,” says company Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “Those robots are currently carrying out regular inspections, wirelessly recharging, and heading out to work again the next day or week. Good engineering is all about problem-solving, and we love finding solutions.”

Interested? You can contact Luke to set up a no-obligation discovery call right here.