CyPhy 'Unlimited' Flight Time Security Drone Examined

Author: Brian Karas, Published on May 25, 2017

Drones face several issues as commercial security platforms - legal restrictions (e.g., in the US, the FAA), costs, and limited flight durations with current battery technology (often needing more time to recharge than to fly).

One company, CyPhy Works, has decided to tackle the battery issue in a different way, by eliminating batteries and using a tethered system instead, enabling "unlimited" flight times, and enhanced payload capacity.

IPVM spoke with CTO and Founder of CyPhy Works, Helen Greiner, who previously was Chairmain and CoFounder of iRobot, maker of the Roomba and other robotics platforms. She described her latest robotics/drone company, current customers, and applications they see in the security industry for a drone-on-a-wire. We conclude with a contrast to other security drone provides including Aptonomy and Nightingale.

****** **** ******* ****** ** ********** ******** ********* - ***** restrictions (*.*., ** *** **, *** ***), *****, *** ******* flight ********* **** ******* ******* ********** (***** ******* **** **** to ******** **** ** ***).

*** *******,***** *****, *** ******* ** ****** *** ******* ***** ** * different ***, ** *********** ********* *** ***** * ******** ****** instead, ******** "*********" ****** *****, *** ******** ******* ********.

**** ***** **** *** *** ******* ******* *****,***** *******, *** ********** *** ********* *** ********* ** ******, ***** of *** ****** *** ***** ******** *********. *** ********* *** latest ********/***** *******, ******* *********, *** ************ **** *** ** the ******** ******** *** * *****-**-*-****. ** ******** **** * contrast ** ***** ******** ***** ******** *******************************.

[***************]

CyPhy ******* **********

*** ******* *** ******* ** ****, ***** *** *** **** iRobot, ****** ***** ** ***** ** *** ******* ** ***** ranging **** ** ** *********** ** ******** *** *********. ***** has ****** $*** ** ***, *** ******* ******* ** ****** at *** *******, **. ************.

***** *** ******* ** ****** ******** ************ *** ***** *********, the ******* *********** ** **** **** **** "**********" ******, ******** to ***/***** *** **** *********.

** ****, ***** ********* ** ***** * ********-******** ******* ** market, *** ************ ******** **** *** ********* ******* ********** ****** * ******* dollars ******* ** ********* ****** ******.

CyPhy ****

***** ***** *** ******* * "********** ****** ************** *** ************** ********" (****). *** **** ** * ******-********* ********, ******** ** accommodate ******** *** ********** ************. ******* ******** ** ****., ***** is *-** *** ******** ** **** ************/********** ******. ****** **** is *********** *********, *** *** ******* ****** *** ***** *** operate ****** ** **** ******* **********, ********* ***** ***** ** 40MPH *****. *** ******** ** ***', ***** ** **** ** an *** ***** **** * ********** ***, ********* ** *** CTO.

*** ******* ******** *** ****** **** *** *** ******** ** the ******** ** ***** * ****** ** ****** ***** ** the *****. *********** ********* ********* *** ******* ********, *** ********** the **** *** *** ***** ** **** ** ****** ** swap ******* *****.

*** ********* ***** ***** ** ******** ** *** ******* *** their ****:

Additional ******* ** ****** ******

*** ****** ***** ** ************* ****, ***** *** **** ******** as * ***** ********* *****, *** ******* ***** *** ************** to *** *****. ********* ** *****, ***** ***** ************** ******* of ******** ******* ******* *** ******* ** *** ***** ***** hacked, ** ***** ******** ** ******* ****-***** ********.

****** *** ********* ** *** ****** ** ******* ** * robotic ******* **** ** **** ** *** ****'* **** *******.

*** ***** *** * *** ****** ******** ** ***', ***** is ** *** **********, *** *** ****** ***** ** **** longer ** ***** *** ***** ** ******** ****** ** ****.

Limitations ** ******

*** ******* ********** ** *** ****** ******** ** *** ****** on ****** ****, ************ **** ********* **** ** ***** ** buildings. ******* *** ***** ******* ******** ** *** **** ******* at *** *****, **** *** ** ** ***** ** ****** the ****** **** *** ****** ******* ** *****, *********, ***.

FAA ************ ***** *****

*** **** ** ********** ** *** **** *** ** ****-****** drones, ****** *** ************ ****** ************ *** ********* *** **** for *** **** ** *** ***** ***** *************************.

*****

***** *** ******* ***** *** ******** ******** *******, ********* ****** expect ** *** ** ****** ** $***,*** *** * *****-**-*** drone/base ******* *******. ***** ***** *** ****** ******** ** *********, they ** *** ****** ***** ****** ** ***** ******* ***** models ** *** *** **** **** ***** ******** ***** ** robot ********* ****.

Current ************ / *********

***** **** *** ******** ** ***** *********** **** **** ********-*****, used *** ************** ** ** ****. ***** *** **** ****** with ****************** *********, ***** *** ***** *** ***** * ******** or **** ******* ** ******* ********* ******** ** ** ****, such ** ****** * ***** ***** ** ***** ***** ********* is ***** ******** ** ********. **** ** ***** *********** **** happened **** *** **** ** ******.

Revenue *********

***** ******** ******* *** *** *********, ** ***** ******** ** to ** ** *** ******-***** ******** ****** *****. **** ** based ** *** ***** ***** ($***,***+), ******* **** *** ***** application *****, *** ********** ****** ******* ** *** *******, ****** it ******** *** ******* *** ******* ** **** *********** ******* at **** *****.

Security ************

******** ************** *****, ************ *****, ********, *** ******* ****** ***** there ** * **** *** ****-**** ****** ************ ** * location *** ***** ***** ***** **** ************ ** *** ******** industry. *** ******* *** ********* *** ***** **** ******* ** thermal ******* *** ***** ************, *** **** **** ***** *** the **** ******* ** *** ***** ******, ******** *** ***** analytics ** ********* ** ** **** **** ********* ** *** ground.

*** **** ******** *** *** ** **** ** ******/****** ***** drones **** *** ******* ** ***** * ****** ****. ** flying ***** *** ******, ** *** ** **** ** *** unauthorized ******** ****** **** ******* **** ******-***** ******* ** ***** sensors, ********* ** *****'* ***.

Competitive **********

*****'* ****** ******** *** **** **** ******* ** ******** ******** manufacturers **** ** ***** *****/***** *********: **** *** ******** ********, and ***** *** ******** ** ********* ***/**** ** ** ********, managed, ***. ***** ***** ***********, *********** ***********, *** * **** *******-******** *****, ********* *** **** hardware, *** **** * **** ** *** ******* ******** ***********. Additionally, ***** ********* **** **** ****-*** ******** **** ****** ********* with *** ********** *** ********* ** *** ******.

**** ****, **** *** **** *** ****-**** ********* ***** ***** for * ***** ********, *******, ************* *** **** ** ** **** "***** *****" **** ** comes ** ********* *** ********* *** ****.******** *** *********** ******* ***** ********* ** *** *****, ****** the ***** **** ** ********* **** ***********, **** ** *********** higher.

CyPhy *******

*** ****** ******** **** ********* * ***** ***** *** ****** used ** * ********, *** ********* ****** **** ******* *** chances ** ******* ******** *** ** ****** ****** ** ****** to * ******** ******* ** "****" ****** **** **** ***** in * ****** ****** *********** ** ******** ** **** ***** systems. *********** ********* **** ********* *******, *** ******* *** ** the **** ****** *********** ***** *** ******** ***** *********. *******, the ****** **** ******* *** ******* ** *** *** ***** to ****** **** ********** ** ***** *** ***** **** *** get ** *** *** ** *** ******. ************, *** **** up-front ***** *** **** ********* ******** ************, **** ** ******* camera ***********, ** ********* ****** *** ********** ***** ****** * location ** ***** ** *** ********* ********, *** *** *********** where *** ********** ** ******** ** ** ****-****.

Comments (2)

Undisclosed #1

05/25/17 04:27pm

**** **** **** ***** ******** ****** *** ****** *********** ** Missouri.

Undisclosed End User #2

05/25/17 11:23pm

*********** ******, *** **** * ******* ****** ** **** ******* was ****** ******, * **** ***, ******* ******* **** ***** the **** ********* **** - *** ***** **** * *** that *** ****** ****** *'* ********, ***'* ******** ** *** my ********* ** *** *** ******* ****** *** *** ** using *** *** ** ** *********... *** *** **** *******...

** ****** **** ** ******* **** *** ******** ******* **** this ****** ** *** "*****" *** *******, ** ** *** paranoia;)

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