Palladyne AI and Orkid Tech to integrate autonomy software on fixed-wing UAVs

Palladyne AI Corp. (NASDAQ: PDYN) and Orkid Tech announced a partnership to integrate Palladyne AI's Pilot and SwarmOS autonomy software with Orkid's fixed-wing vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), according to a press release.

The agreement marks Palladyne AI's first fixed-wing UAV partnership. The companies said they intend to develop integrated drone systems for the U.S. Department of War and commercial industrial markets, including oil and gas, power, wildfire management, and public safety.

Orkid's VTOL UAV platform is compliant with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), requires no runway, and deploys in minutes. The company said its aircraft support modular payloads including electro-optical/infrared, LiDAR, and mapping sensors. By adding Palladyne AI's software, the companies said the aircraft would operate autonomously in real time rather than following preprogrammed waypoints, allowing a single pilot to manage a multi-aircraft swarm.

"This is our first partnership focused on bringing SwarmOS to fixed-wing aircraft, and it does so on a proven, fielded platform built for demanding missions," said Ben Wolff, president and CEO of Palladyne AI.

Santiago Pinzon, CEO and co-founder of Orkid Tech, said the companies recently completed a joint field exercise. "We were able to see SwarmOS in action in the hands of soldiers in real-world exercises," he said.

Palladyne AI is based in Salt Lake City and Orkid Tech is headquartered in Orlando, Florida.

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