CyPhy 'Unlimited' Flight Time Security Drone Examined

By IPVM Team, Published May 25, 2017, 01:21am EDT

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 providers including Aptonomy and Nightingale.

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

*** ******* *** ******* in ****, ***** *** CTO **** ******, ****** spent ** ***** ** the ******* ** ***** ranging **** ** ** Engineering ** ******** *** President. ***** *** ****** $36M ** ***, *** employs ******* ** ****** at *** *******, **. headquarters.

***** *** ******* ** pursue ******** ************ *** drone *********, *** ******* specializes ** **** **** call "**********" ******, ******** to ***/***** *** **** durations.

** ****, ***** ********* to ***** * ********-******** product ** ******, *** a*********** ******** **** *** cancelled ******* ********** ****** a ******* ******* ******* of ********* ****** ******.

CyPhy ****

***** ***** *** ******* a "********** ****** ************** *** Communications ********" (****). *** **** is * ******-********* ********, designed ** *********** ******** and ********** ************. ******* capacity ** ****., ***** is *-** *** ******** of **** ************/********** ******. Flight **** ** *********** unlimited, *** *** ******* claims *** ***** *** operate ****** ** **** weather **********, ********* ***** winds ** ***** *****. Max ******** ** ***', which ** **** ** an *** ***** **** a ********** ***, ********* to *** ***.

*** ******* ******** *** flight **** *** *** entirely ** *** ******** of ***** * ****** to ****** ***** ** the *****. *********** ********* increases *** ******* ********, and ********** *** **** for *** ***** ** land ** ****** ** swap ******* *****.

*** ********* ***** ***** an ******** ** *** company *** ***** ****:

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

*** ****** ***** ** microfilament ****, ***** *** same ******** ** * small ********* *****, *** carries ***** *** ************** to *** *****. ********* to *****, ***** ***** communications ******* ** ******** greatly ******* *** ******* of *** ***** ***** hacked, ** ***** ******** by ******* ****-***** ********.

****** *** ********* ** the ****** ** ******* by * ******* ******* that ** **** ** the ****'* **** *******.

*** ***** *** * max ****** ******** ** 400', ***** ** ** FAA **********, *** *** tether ***** ** **** longer ** ***** *** drone ** ******** ****** an ****.

Limitations ** ******

*** ******* ********** ** the ****** ******** ** the ****** ** ****** area, ************ **** ********* such ** ***** ** buildings. ******* *** ***** remains ******** ** *** base ******* ** *** times, **** *** ** be ***** ** ****** the ****** **** *** become ******* ** *****, buildings, ***.

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

*** **** ** ********** in *** **** *** as ****-****** ******, ****** FAA ************ ****** ************ and ********* *** **** for *** **** ** for ***** ***** *************************.

*****

***** *** ******* ***** not ******** ******** *******, customers ****** ****** ** pay ** ****** ** $100,000 *** * *****-**-*** drone/base ******* *******. ***** sells *** ****** ******** to *********, **** ** not ****** ***** ****** or ***** ******* ***** models ** *** *** that **** ***** ******** drone ** ***** ********* have.

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

***** **** *** ******** of ***** *********** **** been ********-*****, **** *** reconnaissance ** ** ****. CyPhy *** **** ****** with ****************** *********, ***** the ***** *** ***** a ******** ** **** station ** ******* ********* coverage ** ** ****, such ** ****** * large ***** ** ***** other ********* ** ***** upgraded ** ********. **** of ***** *********** **** happened **** *** **** 12 ******.

Revenue *********

***** ******** ******* *** not *********, ** ***** estimate ** ** ** in *** ******-***** ******** annual *****. **** ** based ** *** ***** price ($***,***+), ******* **** the ***** *********** *****, and ********** ****** ******* of *** *******, ****** it ******** *** ******* has ******* ** **** significant ******* ** **** point.

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

******** ************** *****, ************ sites, ********, *** ******* places ***** ***** ** a **** *** ****-**** aerial ************ ** * location *** ***** ***** CyPhy **** ************ ** the ******** ********. *** company *** ********* *** units **** ******* ** thermal ******* *** ***** environments, *** **** **** video *** *** **** channel ** *** ***** tether, ******** *** ***** analytics ** ********* ** be **** **** ********* on *** ******.

*** **** ******** *** be **** ** ******/****** other ****** **** *** attempt ** ***** * secure ****. ** ****** above *** ******, ** may ** **** ** see ************ ******** ****** more ******* **** ******-***** cameras ** ***** *******, according ** *****'* ***.

Competitive **********

*****'* ****** ******** *** been **** ******* ** security ******** ************* **** to ***** *****/***** *********: sell *** ******** ********, and ***** *** ******** to ********* ***/**** ** is ********, *******, ***. Their ***** ***********, ******** and ***********, *** * more *******-******** *****, ********* not **** ********, *** also * **** ** SLA ******* ******** ***********. Additionally, ***** ********* **** have ****-*** ******** **** assist ********* **** *** management *** ********* ** the ******.

**** ****, **** *** make *** ****-**** ********* costs ***** *** * CyPhy ********, *******, **** customers *** **** ** be **** "***** *****" when ** ***** ** operating *** ********* *** unit. ******** *** *********** include ***** ********* ** the *****, ****** *** total **** ** ********* more ***********, **** ** potentially ******.

CyPhy *******

*** ****** ******** **** eliminate * ***** ***** for ****** **** ** a ********, *** ********* flight **** ******* *** chances ** ******* ******** due ** ****** ****** to ****** ** * charging ******* ** "****" places **** **** ***** in * ****** ****** arrangement ** ******** ** most ***** *******. *********** batteries **** ********* *******, and ******* *** ** the **** ****** *********** items *** ******** ***** operation. *******, *** ****** also ******* *** ******* to *** *** ***** to ****** **** ********** if ***** *** ***** that *** *** ** the *** ** *** tether. ************, *** **** up-front ***** *** **** customers ******** ************, **** as ******* ****** ***********, or ********* ****** *** installing ***** ****** * location ** ***** ** get ********* ********, *** any *********** ***** *** deployment ** ******** ** be ****-****.

Comments (4)

Undisclosed #1

05/25/17 02:27pm

They have been using tethered drones for bridge inspections in Missouri.

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Undisclosed End User #2

05/25/17 09:23pm

Interesting things, and what I reacted mostly in this article was iRobot Roomba, I have one, awesome machine that doing the work extremely well - but every time I see that one moving around I'm thinking, who's watching me and my apartment on the the iRobots camera and who is using the map of my apartment... and for what purpose...

No direct need to mention that all outgoing traffic from this device to the "cloud" are blocked, by my own paranoia;)

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Funny: 2

John Honovich

IPVM | 09/02/19 12:30pm

This company is out of business, from a Bloomberg report on Drone Bubble Bursts, Wiping Out Startups and Hammering VC Firms:

Helen Greiner, known for developing the Roomba robot vacuum cleaner, founded CyPhy in 2008 to develop a drone tethered to a grounded power source that could fly for days at a time for observation and communication. But investors pressured her to begin commercial sales before she was ready, she said in an interview. She stepped down as CEO, then left the company in late 2018 to take a job advising the U.S. Army on drones.

At the start of the year, CyPhy announced it would change its name to Aria Insights and transition from hardware to drone data analysis software. In March, after plowing through $39 million of venture capital, the company shut down.

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Undisclosed #3

IPVMU Certified | In reply to John Honovich | 09/02/19 04:15pm

the “inventor” of the Roomba and co-founder of iRobot took a job with the Army?

because...patriotism?

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