CyPhy Works

CyPhy Works was a developer of tethered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) founded in 2008 by Helen Greiner, a co-founder of iRobot. Greiner, an MIT graduate with degrees in mechanical engineering and computer science, was inspired by the character R2-D2 from Star Wars and had previously led iRobot to success with products like the Roomba vacuum and the PackBot military robot. She established CyPhy Works to pioneer drone solutions for persistent aerial surveillance and communications.

The company's core business focused on developing and selling rugged, high-endurance tethered drones to clients in defense, public safety, and commercial sectors like energy and construction. Its flagship product was the Persistent Aerial Reconnaissance and Communications (PARC) system. This system's key feature was its use of a Kevlar-strengthened microfilament tether, which provided continuous power from a ground station, allowing the drone to operate for hundreds of hours, far exceeding the flight times of battery-powered drones. The tether also ensured a secure, jam-proof link for data and video transmission, a critical feature for its military and public safety clientele. The PARC system was utilized by the U.S. Army and provided security for events like the Boston Marathon.

CyPhy Works operated on a business model centered on hardware sales to government and industrial clients, securing significant contracts and investor interest. The company raised approximately $39 million through multiple funding rounds from investors including Bessemer Venture Partners, Motorola Solutions, and the UPS Strategic Enterprise Fund. In January 2019, CyPhy Works rebranded to Aria Insights, shifting its focus from hardware to AI-driven data analytics for information collected by drones. This pivot was an attempt to create a full-service solution, turning vast amounts of aerial data into actionable insights. However, the new entity struggled to gain traction and ceased operations in March 2019. Later that year, FLIR Systems acquired the company's intellectual property and remaining assets.

Keywords: tethered drones, persistent surveillance, aerial reconnaissance, military robotics, public safety drones, drone hardware, Helen Greiner, PARC system, secure communications, unmanned aerial vehicles