Derek: I am V.P. of Marketing and Sales for Prioria Robotics, a small UAS Manufacturer out of Gainesville, FL. We transitioned technology from the Univ. of Florida Air Force research lab and NASA to create the Maveric, a 2.5 lb, backpack portable UAS, which can fold up into a 6" tube. The goal of it was to help in the Military space do the dull, dirty, and dangerous work and to see what is over the hill without putting a person at risk. We wanted a small compact, very light system.
Me: Are you selling this commercially?
Derek: Yes we are, we have sold to and helped with local Law Enforcement and the product is being sold domestically and internationally.
Me: DJI has a stranglehold on the commercial side here in the US, you mentioned in the panel that there is more that goes into a product like this than an out of the box product. Can you shed some light on that?
Derek: I'll give you an analogy: When you first play golf, you don't care what your clubs are like, you go out and hit, and those clubs fit your needs while you are learning. Sooner or later you will want new clubs which are more specialized, or a whole new set of clubs as your game develops. DJI has a great out of the box product, which provides quality imagery, cost effectively. Our products have gone through the DOD testbed and can perform in extreme temperature, wind and humidity conditions, whereas out of the box solutions typically cannot. When you pay more for a system, you are asking for more, and that is what we offer.
Me: With the advent of 3D scanning and printing and different laws in international countries, how valid are patents anymore to protect your products?
Derek: What is most important is not just the UAV, or the vehicle itself, it is the whole system, or the UAS. That is what needs to be protected. It is the way information is delivered, the way the interface works. These are the patentable items, a systems approach. We want to embed intelligence into our systems that allows you to have a unique interaction in a systematic way.
Me: I've noticed a lot of companies coming into the picture very recently in this mad scramble of UAV UAS Drones. Can you give me a brief history of your company and products?
Derek: We have 35 people on board, 13 years in the business. We started in embedded engineering, one of our earlier jobs to help this small company Phillips, detect and correct an error in their MRI machines. (we both laugh about the "small company" remark). The rush and growth in this market has lead to some products which are not particularly safe and cause concern outside the industry. Our system approach provides a very safe product.
Me: Ok, my last question, or 2 questions actually. Are you hiring, and what field of study would you recommend young people get into to get a job in UAV UAS Drones?
Derek: 1) we are always hiring, the right people 2) study engineering, math, but also be inquisitive, know how things work together. Start asking "how and whys" for everything that interests you. We have helped a couple of teams do robotics challenges and we want to foster this type of thinking in kids. This is where great research comes from, this inquisitive approach.
For more information visit: http://www.prioria.com
1 comment:
This is a really good article, I had never heard of this drone company in the US... Do you know the price of the Maveric?
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