MVP Robotics
Bradford, Vermont firm founded 2013 making M2P autonomous UGVs, HEKTR robotic targets and tackling dummies; first DoD contracts in 2018.
MVP Robotics Inc. is a developer and manufacturer of autonomous ground robots based at 226C Industrial Drive in Bradford, Vermont. It describes itself as an independent, privately held small business and a non-traditional defense contractor eligible for sole-source acquisitions, and it also trades under the MVP Dummy and MVP Tactical names.
The company originated in a collaboration between Dartmouth College head football coach Buddy Teevens and engineers and athletes at Dartmouth's Thayer School of Engineering, including Thayer research engineer John Currier, who together built the Mobile Virtual Player, the first robotic tackling dummy, intended to reduce injuries from full-contact practice. MVP was founded and launched the dummy commercially in 2013, the year it won the NFL's 1st and Future innovation competition. The company says the sports platform was adopted by the majority of NFL teams by 2018, and its sports page lists twelve NFL clubs including the Steelers, Cowboys, Saints and 49ers.
In 2018 MVP received its first US Department of Defense contracts and began developing HEKTR, a robotic live-fire training target derived from the tackling-dummy technology; first HEKTR systems were delivered to DoD in 2021, the same year the company reports strategic integrations with Lockheed Martin. HEKTR is an armored, all-terrain robotic target with a top speed of 22 mph, a mesh-network range beyond 2,000 m, control of 16 or more robots at once, 360-degree shot detection with programmable multi-zone hit sensing, geofencing, waypoint scripting, thermal target options and after-action review with FPV video. The company says it has been used by all major DoD branches, allied special operations forces and civilian ranges, and it is offered for purchase, rental and training support.
The current growth line is autonomous ground vehicles for contested environments. The M2P family comprises M2P Lite, a lightweight, attritable reconnaissance platform; M2P, a mid-weight platform for ISR, resupply and communications relay; and M2P Heavy, the maximum-payload version for logistics, payload carriage and casualty evacuation. Shared features listed by the company include armored electric drive (protection up to 7.62 mm), autonomous navigation, on-board AI processing, real-time video, MANET radio, ATAK/TAK integration, multi-agent control of 16 or more systems and a MOSA-aligned open architecture. In September 2026 MVP demonstrated the M2P Heavy, reported to carry up to 800 lb, at the Autonomous Ground Vehicles Prize Challenge for wildfire response on the Beasley Knob trail in Georgia's Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest.
MVP also sells autonomy kits, including the MVP Sage Autonomy Kit, that add waypoint navigation, obstacle avoidance, follow-me, path capture and retrace, and radio-agnostic, SATCOM or fiber-optic links to government and third-party ground vehicles. In sport, the remote-controlled, self-righting MVP|SPRINT dummy for high schools runs at 16 mph for 3 to 6 hours. Leadership includes chief executive Quinn Connell and president Todd Seniff.
Primary type & automation activities this supplier delivers:
M2P Heavy
Maximum-payload armored electric UGV in the M2P family for logistics, payload carriage and casualty evacuation.
HEKTR
Armored all-terrain robotic target for dynamic live-fire and non-lethal training.
MVP Sage Autonomy Kit
Add-on kit that brings MVP autonomy to government and third-party ground vehicles.
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Contact MVP Robotics
WEBSITE
https://www.mvprobotics.comHEADQUARTERS
United States
Company Facts
Founded
2013
Primary Role
Manufacturer
Company Size
-
Primary Region
North America
Annual Sales
-
Funding Stage
-
Funding Total
-
Keywords
- MVP Robotics
- MVP Robotics Inc.
- MVP Dummy
- MVP Tactical
- Mobile Virtual Player
- robotic tackling dummy
- live-fire training target
- m2p heavy
- casevac
- tak integration
- autonomy kit
- wildfire response
- multi-robot control
- Manufacturer
- Software/Algorithm
- Autonomous Vehicle/UGV
- Control & Software
- Defense & Security
- ISR
