For Immediate Release

PITTSBURGH, PA – February 3, 2005 -- The National Center for Defense Robotics (NCDR), an initiative of The Technology Collaborative, today announced that it has awarded a $150,000 contract to Philadelphia-based Nomadio Corporation to develop a digital radio controller for small, military robots used to counter-act improvised explosive devices in Iraq.

This is the first sub-contract awarded by the NCDR under the terms and conditions of its recently completed $27 million prime contract with the Navy. The Nomadio project is the first of many that the NCDR expects to fund this year using the $8.7 million in federal funding that it has procured from the FY04 and FY05 defense appropriations bill.

“The Nomadio project is a great example of the type of opportunities that the NCDR is seeking to fund,” stated Bill Thomasmeyer, President of the NCDR and Executive Vice President of The Technology Collaborative. “The controller they are developing for the military is key to fielding a low-cost robotic solution with the potential to save soldier's lives and is based on technology they had originally developed for the hobbyist market. The funding provided by the NCDR will accelerate their ability to provide a solution that meets an important unmet government need as well as deliver a compelling product with significant commercial market potential.”

Alex Gizis, Nomadio's CEO said “We're happy to start 2005 with this new project because we will have the opportunity to help save lives in unstructured combat zones such as those in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other hot spots around the world. We plan to continue applying our secure controller technology to the job of keeping soldiers out of harm's way.”

The project exemplifies The Technology Collaborative's expanded statewide focus and interest in partnering with other economic development organizations throughout Pennsylvania to jointly fund promising robotics and digital technology companies. Nomadio recently received a $250,000 investment from Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania (BFTP/SEP) to support the development and launch of its Sensor System, a controller hardware platform for collecting vehicle telemetry data and exercising control over robotic devices.

“This project represents an exciting new era in Pennsylvania's technology industry, as it leverages funding streams and investments from across the state to support growth of our world-class assets in robotics, advanced electronics, cyber security, and other digital technologies,” commented Rose Ann Rosenthal, president and chief executive officer, BFTP/SEP.

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About The Technology Collaborative
Formed in December 2004 as the result of a merger between The Pittsburgh Digital Greenhouse and The Robotics Foundry, The Technology Collaborative is a statewide economic development organization focused on growing companies and streamlining efforts to secure a balanced mix of federal, state and local funding to support the growth of Pennsylvania's world-class robotics, cyber-security and digital technologies industries. TTC's mission is to develop an effective end-to-end strategy for integrating digital technologies developed by the state's universities into commercial products that are designed, engineered, produced, marketed and sold by companies based in Pennsylvania.

About The National Center for Defense Robotics
The National Center for Defense Robotics, an initiative of The Technology Collaborative, procures Federal funding for technology development projects intended to meet unmet government needs by transitioning agile robotics technology for current and planned unmanned military systems. The NCDR has established the Agile Robotics Alliance, a national consortium of small companies, universities, government agencies, and defense contractors to undertake these projects.

About Nomadio, Inc.
Nomadio was formed in 2002 to develop and deliver a new level of secure and robust remote control and telemetry systems for unmanned vehicles. The company has been the recipient of numerous public and private grants and awards based on the promise of its technology. Nomadio currently addresses the defense market with controls and telemetry for small unmanned vehicles, and the hobbyist radio control market, also known as RC, with a secure radio control and telemetry system. Nomadio's products are used by several branches of the U.S. armed forces.

About Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania
Since 1982, Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania (BFTP/SEP) has helped grow the region through science, technology and entrepreneurship. BFTP/SEP provides entrepreneurs and established businesses the capital, talent, and expertise they need to compete in the global marketplace. Like its namesake, Ben Franklin invests in, builds upon and delivers solutions that grow communities and create wealth by supporting today's technological ideas and tomorrow's scientific discovery.

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