CyPhy Works said it received a contract from Georgia Tech Research Institute

, under funding from the Army’s Rapid Equipping Force, to deliver their PARC Tether Aerial Robot for evaluation and testing.

The Rapid Equipping Force (REF) is charged with quickly providing Army units deployed globally with innovative government- and commercial-off-the-shelf solutions that address urgent requirements.

“We are excited to be entering the Rapid Equipping process,” said CyPhy Works CEO Helen Greiner. “Our goal is to get systems to the soldiers that need them in the shortest possible time frame. We are confident that the PARC system will deliver Force Protection the necessary Situational Awareness in the most austere locations where little infrastructure exists.”

PARC in flight Photo: CyPhy Works
PARC in flight
Photo: CyPhy Works

Leading this initiative will be CyPhy Works Vice President of Government Systems Matt England. Previously, as Chief of Special Developments for the Army Infantry Center, he deployed the Army’s first Small Ground Robots–the iRobot PackBot–and the Army’s Small Unmanned Air Systems (SUAS) Raven aircraft, produced by AeroVironment [AVAV].

“I see a clear need for the PARC system in Force Protection” England said. “The most engaged unit in the last decade of combat has been the small unit; however they had access to the least amount of situational awareness (SA) due to infrastructure limitations. With the PARC system, we’re able to provide a small footprint that is easy to operate and has virtually unlimited time of flight by running off of existing power sources.”

The Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC) will conduct the PARC testing prior to operational assessment.

Georgia Tech Research Institute will provide the Ground Station and Camera Payload and will manage the contract.