A Plainfield company that customizes Boston Dynamics’ four-legged Spot robots has won a $1.3 million contract to supply four of the machines to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
ICE awarded the $1.3 million order to RADēCO Inc. without competitive bidding, according to federal contracting records. The company’s Cerberus Spot robots feature military-grade add-ons, including robotic arms, thermal cameras and sensors for detecting explosive materials.
RADēCO, an authorized distributor and industry partner of Boston Dynamics, did not respond to the Harford Business Journal’s request for comment Thursday.
According to a justification document ICE posted Monday, each robot package costs $110,200. The order also includes four front-mounted manipulation arms at $75,000 apiece, four thermal zoom cameras at $49,250 apiece, radio communication kits, officer training and shipping.
The document says the customized robots are intended to detect radiation, toxic gas leaks and explosive threats in urban environments or disaster zones. They also would allow officers to remotely observe, inspect and document conditions and assess hazards.
ICE ties the purchase to the Subterranean Border Defense Act, which focuses on cross-border smuggling tunnels, and President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20, 2025, executive order, “Protecting the American People Against Invasion.”
The agency posted a notice seeking potential suppliers from Aug. 28 to Sept. 4 and received responses from two vendors, according to the document. ICE rejected GovTRobotics, saying it was not an authorized reseller of Boston Dynamics products and its proposed base model did not meet the required specifications.
ICE said RADēCO is the sole developer and manufacturer of the Cerberus configuration and has experience supplying it to law enforcement and military tactical teams.
According to RADēCO’s website, the brand dates back 60 years and has been privately owned since February 2000, following its separation from Science Applications International Corp. Its headquarters are in Plainfield, while its drone and robotics division is in Monroe, North Carolina.
