RADDOG · Program record

RADDOG program record, 2022 to 2023

3design sprints from MVP to production

Apr 2022project kickoff

Oct 2023production handoff complete

RADDOG at a rocket facility with a Falcon 9 booster and transport truck at dusk — RADDOG at the spaceport shoot, Falcon 9 booster behind.

Chronological record of the RADDOG program from kickoff to production handoff. Summary page: RADDOG project page.

Context

Robotic Assistance Devices builds security robotics; ROSA (stationary observation) and ROAMEO (mobile patrol) were the established products. I joined RAD in May 2021 as a mechanical engineer and project lead. In April 2022 I originated the proposal for a quadruped security robot.

Kickoff, April 2022

Organized the kickoff package: requirements and objectives, conceptual modeling, system architecture plan, preliminary bill of materials, project timeline.

Design challenges

Six problems dominated the engineering: ruggedization for outdoor police duty, performance against a fixed market cost ceiling, environmental protection and unattended field charging, component packaging against procurement lead times, mass and thermal management trading against each other, and scope control across all three sprints.

MVP and demonstration

Delivered MVP prototypes for a public demo day. The demonstration succeeded, and the design review that followed secured funding for continued development.

Sprint 2, approximately 3 months

Proposed and negotiated the iteration plan. Simplified the system architecture, ran a mass-cost-performance trade study, and executed mechanical improvements for strength, assembly, and production. The BOM cost was deliberately increased for better materials, a more mature ruggedized design, and design-for-manufacturing.

Customer traction

Demonstrations for the FBI and national television appearances built commercial momentum. Pilot deployments identified the customer: RADDOG specialized as a law-enforcement utility robot, and that decision set the requirements for the final sprint.

Sprint 3, approximately 4 months

Adapted RADDOG for the law-enforcement environment and finalized the design for production: product documentation, reworked BOM and packaging, final mechanical design improvements, production handoff.

Handoff, October 2023

RADDOG entered its production life cycle in Michigan. RADDOG 2LE was subsequently delivered to the Taylor Police Department in Michigan. Program duration: eighteen months. I am happy to walk through any layer of it in person.

RADDOG 2LE technical dimension drawing with overall length, height, and mass — RADDOG 2LE dimensions: 788 mm long, 647 mm standing height, 27.9 kg. Drawing credit: RAD.

RADDOG entering its outdoor charging dock — Outdoor charging dock: environmental protection and field charging.

Annotated diagram of RADDOG features including cameras, touchscreen, microphones, speakers, and tow hitch — Production feature set. Diagram credit: RAD marketing.

RADDOG on the Stars on Mars set with astronaut-suited cast members — Stars on Mars set, FOX. Five units and a technician deployed to Australia.

Technician working on RADDOG at the Michigan production facility — Michigan production facility, post-handoff.

Multiple RADDOG units staged in the warehouse with shipping cases — Production units staged with shipping cases.

RADDOG on Good Day Philadelphia (FOX WTXF-TV)

ROAMEO on night patrol. RAD's mobile patrol product, the established line RADDOG joined.

Links and pressRAD: ROSA·RAD: ROAMEO·raddog.ai