Gryphon Plans Drone Detection Corridor in New York

A major anti-drone firm has 10 million reasons to enhance unmanned-aircraft safety in upstate New York.

Gryphon Sensors recently announced the launch of a $10.1 million drone detection system which– in its initial build – will monitor airspace between the company’s North Syracuse headquarters and Griffiss International Airport in Rome, New York.

According to a report in the Eagle Star-Review, the company reaped a $5.1 million grant from a state economic development fund.

Gryphon offers two unique features designed to mitigate rogue drone flights.

The first is a “multi-spectral solution” – grabbing data from multiple sensors and drawing on the strengths of each one.

Second, Gryphon designs and builds sensors from the ground up specifically for the detection and tracking of small drones.

“It’s not just about detecting the drones,” Gryphon project manager Dave Whitaker told the Star-Review. “It’s also about detecting other things that may be in that zone and might cause a safety hazard, or drones could create a safety hazard for, such as general aviation aircraft.”

Whitaker added that the company’s detection array can identify airborne objects as tiny as 1/50 of a square meter.

Following initial rollout of the project, Gryphon plans to invest $30,000 million in a second phase build.

“The ultimate goal of this is to provide a unique facility that will attract businesses dealing with UAS infrastructure, not just the drone manufacturers but also drone flyers” Whitaker said. “The longer-term leverage of this is job creation from other industries.”

Over the last year, Gryphon has flown even higher as a leader in drone mitigation technology.

Last year, Gryphon co-founded the newly formed Commercial Drone Alliance — a non-profit education and advocacy group founded and led by key players in the industry.

The firm also partnered with the FAA, Liteye Systems and Sensofusion in a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement.

A recent industry report predicts the anti-drone market will grow to $1.85 billion by 2024. As drone use grows, many public agencies and companies are seeking anti-drone solutions to stop drones from flying over restricted or unsafe locations such as wildfire zones, nuclear power plants, prisons and airports.