Motorola Solutions invests in drone maker CyPhy Works

Motorola Solutions, based in Schaumburg, IL, announced on March 16 that it has made a strategic investment in CyPhy Works, a leading developer of advanced unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones. Founded by Helen Greiner, co-founder of iRobot, CyPhy Works has developed a drone technology and business roadmap that pioneers use of “microfilament tether” technology that enables long-duration or persistent flight with secure streaming of high-speed data and high-definition video.

“Real-time information is a powerful tool for our public safety and commercial customers,” said Paul Steinberg, chief technology officer at Motorola Solutions. “A tethered drone collecting situational awareness in large or hard-to-reach locations quickly puts eyes and ears on the scene, enabling our customers to read the moment, know what’s relevant and help them make fast decisions about how to deploy resources. This can help not only resolve incidents faster but also provide information to help prevent critical situations from happening in the first place.”

CyPhy Works’ easy-to-operate flying robots are well suited for use in public safety and commercial applications. The company offers “no-pilot” hardware systems, autopilot and control software, uninterrupted high-definition and infrared imaging, and laser measurement sensors. Its microfilament technology can be used for long-term, long-duration operation in the field without charging batteries, which enables real-time secure data transfer to the ground station.

Motorola Solutions’ investment in CyPhy Works is part of its strategy to advance mission-critical communications by connecting public safety and commercial customers with real-time data and intelligence like never before. CyPhy Works is part of Motorola Solutions’ growing network of investments in technologies that are contributing to the smart public safety solutions that enable the safer cities of the future. Earlier this year, the company announced investments in VocalZoom, a developer of sensors for speech enhancement, and SceneDoc, maker of “public safety’s trusted digital notebook.”

“The opportunity to offer flying robots, or UAVs, to the public safety and commercial sectors for imaging, mapping, monitoring and other applications is truly exciting,” said Greiner, CyPhy Works CEO. “Our robust platform is specifically designed for field operations in rough real-world conditions.”

Terms of the investment by Motorola Solutions Venture Capital were not disclosed.

Source: Motorola Solutions