Prioria (company)
Prioria, formally known as Prioria Robotics Inc., was an American corporation that originally focused on designing embedded sensor processing products and services. Established in Gainesville, Florida in 2003, Prioria transitioned from embedded systems to the design and development of unmanned aircraft. The company would go on to develop multiple Unmanned aircraft platforms as well as offering commercial services.
Private | |
Founded | Florida, U.S. (2003, as Prioria Robotics, Inc.) |
Website | Prioria.com |
The first unmanned aircraft developed, sold, and supported the Maveric Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (also called an autonomous Micro Air Vehicle),[1][2] while also maintaining a services division focused on defense focused research and development of embedded sensor processing systems. After Maveric, the Company developed Leviathan, a larger fixed wing UAS and the Hex Rotor. In 2014 the company transitioned to offering commercial services.
Prioria had a few key contributions to field of unmanned system:
- Maveric was the first drone to offer autonomous vision based collision avoidance processed on board the aircraft.
- Prioria was the first company to be Aerovironment in a program of record for small UAS.[3] Though Aerovironment would win it back in the next cycle.
- Prioria was one of the first company's to raise venture funds for a UAS.[4]
Notable Technologies
Bendable wing
Maveric benefited from a bendable wing technology that Prioria licensed from the University of Florida. Developed by Dr Peter Ifju[5]
Onboard collision avoidance
Prioria developed an onboard collision avoidance system [6]
Prioria filed for bankruptcy in February 2019[7] after losing a major program of record for the Leviathan aircraft to Lockheed Martin in the fall of 2018. The company was plagued by legal troubles stemming from a vendor dispute.[8]
References
- Schechter, Erik (2013-11-12). "Prioria hopes to make inroads from US Army UAV deal". Flightglobal.com. Retrieved 2019-11-07.
- McDuffee, Allen (2013-11-27). "Army Scores a Super-Stealthy Drone That Looks Like a Bird". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2019-11-07.
- "News Release: Prioria Awarded Canadian Defense Contract by Prioria Robotics, Inc". www.1888pressrelease.com. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
- "Cruchbase Investment record". Crunch base.
- , "Bendable wing for micro air vehicle", issued 2006-08-25
- , "System and method for onboard vision processing", issued 2006-10-20
- "Prioria Robotics Holdings, Inc. Bankruptcy (1:18-bk-10019), Florida Northern Bankruptcy Court". www.pacermonitor.com. Retrieved 2019-11-07.
- Musgrave, Shawn (2015-11-03). "Drone Company Misled Military into Buying UAVs that Were Basically Toys: Lawsuit". Vice. Retrieved 2019-11-07.