Robot-Copter Venture Taking Off

Rotomotion LLC has been flying under the radar in the Charleston economy -- not necessarily a bad thing for a company in the surveillance business.

The fledgling Mount Pleasant-based venture makes "robot helicopters," devices about the size of a small person that can be controlled remotely or programmed to fly a prescribed path carrying up to 20 pounds of gear.

Launched in early 2003 by father and son Dennis S. and Dennis B. D'Annunzio, the company has thus far won a good deal of business from research universities. Recently, the Pentagon has come knocking. Turns out, Rotomotion is hovering in one of the faster-growing sectors of the war business, unmanned aerial vehicles -- UAVs in military jargon.

"The pickup in momentum in the past six to nine months has been dramatic," the elder D'Annunzio said. "The buzz is that they save lives."

THE DRONES OF WAR

In the 1800s, soldiers started attaching bombs and cameras to kites and balloons. Battle strategists gradually warmed to the idea, developing guided bombs like the World War I-era "flying torpedo."

More recently, the concept exploded in step with technological advances. In 2000, Uncle Sam spent $257 million on UAVs. That sum quadrupled by 2004. The U.S. military is working with hundreds of UAVs of all shapes and sizes. The granddaddy of them all is the Global Hawk, an unmanned spy and missile plane that can fly for 34 hours at altitudes of up to 65,000 feet. With a price tag of $57 million, it's not the stuff of backyard hobbyists.

Then there is the other side of the spectrum, "micro air vehicles," insect-sized contraptions designed to "perch and stare" with onboard cameras. U.S. soldiers in Iraq also have at their disposal about 500 miniature planes that can be carried by backpack and launched by hand to peek over hills and around buildings without putting a body in harm's way. The military plans to acquire 2,500 more of these contraptions in the near future, according to Lt. Col. Christopher Rodney, a Washington-based Army spokesman.

"They've proved to be an invaluable intelligence asset ... and it's a technology that the troops are really taking to and accepting," Rodney said. "They're taking pictures of what's going on ahead -- routes, (improvised explosive devices), crowds -- the dangers these guys face every day. You're talking about the saving of lives, and you can't put a cost on that."

EYE IN THE SKY

The D'Annunzios believe that their helicopters, while not quite as portable as fixed-wing UAVs, can do a better job of battlefield surveillance. Flying at 500 feet, they can hardly be seen or heard from the ground. By hovering, the machines provide more stable and less disorienting pictures than plane-like contraptions. They can do things most fixed-wing UAVs can't, such as pinpointing locations for artillery strikes. It's only a matter of time, the D'Annunzios say, before some big contracts start coming their way from Uncle Sam.

"It is truly an eye in the sky," the elder D'Annunzio said. "And with the exception of being able to pick someone up, there are very few things that a real helicopter can do that it can't."

What may make the Rotomotion especially popular is its price tag. The cheapest fixed-wing UAV the U.S. military uses costs about $53,000. Two of the three models in Iraq sell for more than $3 million per aircraft. The Rotomotion helicopters being pieced together in a nondescript Mount Pleasant office park go for $30,000 to $50,000, depending on bells and whistles.

"To the military, they'd be almost disposable," the elder D'Annunzio said. "And they aren't really concerned with losing them, because they don't have any widows to call if they do," his son added. In comparison, standard helicopters start at around $300,000. Most cost about $3 million.

The Navy bought one of the first Rotomotion machines. Rich Ernst, the naval computer engineer who signed off on the purchase after test-driving a number of similar devices, said the decision was a simple one. "Frankly, theirs worked," Ernst said. "They had a fantastic system. They were willing to go the extra mile. ... And compared to what's out there today in that price range, they are very impressive." Ernst believes that, as they become easier to operate, helicopters and other hovering UAVs will eventually replace airplane-style machines of war.

BALANCING ON A BALL

Like some of the big technological innovations, Rotomotion was born after business hours, the product of years of tinkering on nights and weekends. About five years ago, the younger D'Annunzio, now 33, was in business with his dad, managing restaurant and retail franchises around the country. His free time, however, was spent flying remote-control helicopters, a tricky undertaking that he likens to "balancing on a ball with someone constantly nudging you."

D'Annunzio was in the market for an autonomous flying device, a pack of gyroscopes and computer chips that makes minute corrections to help keep helicopters upright. But that sort of technology cost about $400,000 at the time. Over a span of months, the University of South Carolina engineering grad built his own for about $5,500. Then he called in his father, an accountant, to manage the business side of things. "We believed from the start that it would be commercially viable," the younger D'Annunzio said. "But at that point, we really knew that we had something."

Rotomotion started selling its autonomous flight devices and circuitry to engineers and hobbyists in 2002. The father and son team incorporated the venture as a company in February 2003 and sold their first helicopter later that year for about $30,000. At that point, the D'Annunzios probably could have bought their own small helicopter for the money they had poured into the business. But their investment and family loans paid off.

Growth for the company has been slow but steady. Rotomotion now has one broad patent pending; it employs seven people; and it has sold 15 helicopters for at least $27,000 apiece in the past two years.

SPYING THE FUTURE The one thing Rotomotion can't get is an accurate picture of its market potential. The machines sold so far are being used to meet a range of ends. Sky Pan International, a Chicago-based company, is using its Rotomotion helicopter to take panoramic photos that it sells to Realtors and architects. In China, firefighters are using a Rotomotion machine to spot forest blazes. University of Maryland agriculture researchers have one programmed to photograph crops with special film that can illustrate how healthy plants are and what chemicals they need.

Rotomotion also is hoping to sell its UAV to concrete pathologists, engineers who study the strength of bridges and buildings. Port security personnel are interested in using the helicopters to scan incoming tankers and shipping crates. An Italian tire maker wants to buy one to take aerial footage of its test track.

"We've got lots of ideas, but so far it's been a lot of people finding us with their own concept of what to use them for," the elder D'Annunzio said.

The Navy is using its Rotomotion to help develop a uniform programming language for unmanned vehicles. If all goes as planned, the helicopter will be able to be deployed with a bunch of other unmanned machines to clear a minefield or search an area for a lost hiker, for example. "The technology is huge," Ernst said. "It's like watching cell phones come out for the first time."

Mark Weill, a 48-year-old businessman from New York, bought a Rotomotion just for kicks. Weill said he may decide to provide financial backing to the company if it needs an infusion of cash. "These guys are in the real world," Weill said. "They've got a great project and they've got their heads screwed on tight."

Late last month, Rotomotion performed its second demo for military brass. It is working on "weaponizing" the machines, specifically mounting a device to launch or drop grenades. Aside from pitching to the military, Rotomotion's focus is fine-tuning its electric-powered helicopter. It hopes to design a model that can fly for at least an hour. At that point, the D'Annunzios plan to hire a sales staff and place a few more demo models around the country.

"It's a no-brainer," D'Annunzio said. "A police officer could keep one of these in his trunk and then just take it out and flip it on with a switch. ... It's really only limited to your imagination."