Howe and Howe is a company located in southern Maine that is currently developing an unmanned ground vehicle for the US military. This is the Ripsaw, a tele-operated armoured vehicle with a top speed of 60mph, designed for rugged terrain. The vehicle is currently undergoing trials.
The article's description of the firm's business gives a snapshot of the current demand for UGVs: entertainment and resource extraction. Expect other niches to appear and demand to grow as models become more versatile and robust.
The United Kingdom is not left out. Northrop Grumman are expanding their Remotec facility in Coventry to manufacture the Wheelbarrow and Cutlass models. Their role is a specific niche:
The security company said many of its vehicles at Coventry are configured for ordnance disposal and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear missions.
The US is looking at UGVs as they could be, the UK (running out of money) deploys existing equipment, as it should be, for now.