A fixed-wing drone manufacturer has received a sizable
capital investment to help fund its efforts to bring an unmanned electric
airplane designed for agricultural spray operations to market. Pyka,
an unmanned electric airplane design, development and services company in
Oakland, California, received $11 million in venture capital funding, DroneDJ reports.
Pyka’s product is a fixed-wing electric aircraft for
agricultural spray operations. It is designed for row crops and applications near
sensitive crops or areas. The P-400b Egret has a wingspan of 34 feet and a
450-pound payload capacity. Lithium polymer battery packs power three 20 kw
electric motors. Pyka’s spray system includes a proprietary, high-speed
centrifugal pump. The pump delivers chemical to a pair of lightweight carbon
composite spray booms. According to the company, the autonomous airplane is capable
of spraying 135 acres an hour at a rate of 2 gallons per acre (gpa) or 85 acres
an hour at 5 gpa.
Pyka has been testing its unmanned aircraft in New
Zealand under a certification program with the Civil Aviation Authority of New
Zealand. The company is also in discussion with the USDA-ARS Aerial Application
Technology Research Unit about setting up a spray categorization and drift
study in the U.S. Results on the application efficacy and precision of Pyka’s
autonomous airplane will be interesting to see once testing data becomes
available.
Pyka states its autonomous airplane is able to identify and avoid
obstacles within its flight path by using 3D aerial mapping and optimized path
planning. Pyka also recently joined NAAA as an allied
member.
Pictured above: Rear view of Pyka’s P-400b Egret (courtesy of Pyka)