Pliant Energy Systems

Pliant Energy Systems, founded in 2007 by Benjamin Pietro Filardo, is a Brooklyn-based company developing technologies for marine robotics, energy generation, and fluid pumping. The firm's core innovation is a blade-less system using undulating fins, a concept that is the functional inverse of a turbine or propeller. This technology has dual applications: generating electricity from moving water and propelling marine vehicles with high efficiency and maneuverability.

The company's founder, Benjamin Pietro Filardo, transitioned from a career in architecture, including roles at Rockwell Group and with renowned architect Philip Johnson, to pursue renewable energy concepts. His background in marine biology and oceanography, combined with an interest sparked by an article on dielectric elastomers, led to the development of the company's foundational patents. This unique blend of design experience and scientific curiosity informs the company's approach to engineering.

Pliant Energy's business model is centered on research, development, and securing intellectual property, with over two dozen patents granted. Its funding has primarily come from federal and state grants and contracts, including significant awards from the U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR), the Department of Energy (DOE), and the National Science Foundation (NSF). The company's primary clients are in the defense, research, and energy sectors, including entities like the U.S. Marine Corps, marine scientists, and municipal water authorities.

The most prominent product is the amphibious robot, Velox, and its successor, C-Ray. These robots utilize the company's signature fins for propulsion, allowing them to swim like a ray, crawl like a millipede over various terrains including sand and ice, and maneuver with precision in challenging environments like the surf zone, which are often inaccessible to conventional drones. This versatility has attracted interest for applications ranging from polar research and coral reef inspection to potential use in space exploration on moons like Europa. Initially conceived as a way to harness river energy without the risk of entanglement from debris, the propulsion system is now the company's main focus. The energy-harnessing application remains a long-term goal, with the potential to provide power for irrigation and clean water in developing regions.

Keywords: marine robotics, hydrokinetic energy, amphibious drone, biomimetic propulsion, undulating fins, ocean exploration, naval technology, renewable energy generation, autonomous systems, fluid dynamics