Lake Mary-based Digimation Inc. next year will take its portable firearm training simulator global after racking up customers that include 300 U.S. law enforcement departments and, most recently, the U.S. Army.
The simulator, called DART, can be set up practically anywhere, enabling users to test their accuracy and decision-making abilities with guns that shoot lasers.
Technology company Digimation in October inked a deal with the Army, which bought 28 simulators, and Digimation is pursuing opportunities to add other branches to its customer list, said Digimation President David Avgikos.
Interest from the Army adds to already-strong demand for the company, which grew its sales 32% year-over-year in 2021 and expects to grow by another 50% this year, Avgikos told Orlando Inno.
The purpose of DART is to provide a safe, inexpensive and efficient way for law enforcement officers and soldiers to train using their firearms, including through immersive, real-world scenarios.
The DART system's capabilities include:
- 3D shooting ranges that let users train on customizable targets
- Immersive 3D situations that test the user's ability to shoot an armed assailant in a crowded place, de-escalate a traffic stop, correctly determine when or when not to use their firearm and more
- Feedback after each training situation
- Customization that allows users to train with the courseware provided by Digimation or implement their own, Vice President of Sales David Nielsen said. DART comes with "Creator" software that lets the owner build their own courses.
Two of the most appealing facets of the system are its cost and portability. The 6-inch-by-4-inch-by-5-inch device can fit with all its accessories in a case the size of a small suitcase. Plus, the cost of DART system starts at less than $10,000, compared to larger simulators that can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Next year, Digimation will target customers outside the U.S. Plus, the company aims to turn a shed in Lake Mary into a training and demonstration center for DART, Avgikos added.
The nine-person company started 30 years ago as a 3D simulation firm focused on entertainment. However, a chance encounter with a U.S. Department of Defense official at annual simulation conference I/ITSEC in Orlando led to Digimation's foray into firearm training technology, Avgikos said.
The company recognized a need for cheaper firearm simulators for small police departments, and Digimation launched DART in 2018. Roughly 60 law enforcement agencies across Central Florida, including the Altamonte Springs Police Department and Lake County Sheriff's Office, train with DART.
Digimation's product is distinct from other simulators on the market, but it's not the only simulation company in the region to expand its customer base from law enforcement to the military.
For example, Chandler, Arizona-based VirTra Inc. (Nasdaq: VTSI) in October opened an Orlando office in an effort to grow into the defense sector. Police departments' tight budgets forced VirTra to be price-conscious when it developed its products, which gave it a leg up in the realm of defense contracting, President and co-CEO Bob Ferris previously told Orlando Inno. "The military wants better, cheaper and faster."
Federal contracts are big business in Central Florida. Metro Orlando companies alone landed $5.3 billion worth of federal contract obligations in fiscal-year 2022, according to the U.S. government’s spending database.
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