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AeroVironment Unveils TOM 50 RE Backpackable Ground Robot

Weighing under 10 kilograms, the TOM 50 RE brings autonomous interior mapping, stair-climbing mobility, modular payloads, a mobile IP-mesh repeater for bomb-disposal and reconnaissance teams.

Overview

  • AeroVironment’s Telerob unit unveiled the TOM 50 RE at the Eurosatory defense show in Paris on Monday, presenting a compact UGV meant to be carried and deployed by a single operator.
  • The robot weighs under 10 kg, runs on tracks with a stair-climbing flipper system, carries up to 5 kg of payload, and offers about five hours of endurance for extended missions.
  • Key technical features include onboard SLAM for GPS‑denied interior and multi-level mapping, four wide-angle IR-capable cameras for 360° awareness, and an IP-mesh radio that can act as a mobile repeater.
  • Telerob designed the TOM 50 RE to support four missions—mobile exploration, mission-accompanying reconnaissance with exportable maps, explosive ordnance disposal using modular disruptors, and operational support as a comms relay.
  • Early media and financial coverage noted investor interest and a 'Moderate Buy' analyst consensus for AVAV but no public procurement contracts or fielding orders have been announced, so sales and delivery timelines remain uncertain.