Cisco has developed a set of small smart robots, which can act as wireless communications relays, that sense when a mobile user is moving out of service range, and can follow the user to maintain connectivity.

Cisco talked about the prototype box-shaped robots at this week’s Military Technologies Conference in Boston.

According to Dave Buster, product marketing manager for the Cisco Global Government Solutions Group, the robots can follow a user almost anywhere to maintain connectivity. Published reports said the robots were part of Cisco’s “Information on the move” initiative — a wide-ranging plan to secure all things wireless.