Pyka crop sprayer gets an $11 million seed round

A purposeful large scale three-engined electric crop spraying RPAS that must make more sense than smaller multirotors over huge fields from Pyka.

The company’s founding team, Michael Norcia, Chuma Ogunwole, Kyle Moore and Nathan White, come from a variety of well-known companies that work in adjacent spaces: Cora, Kittyhawk, Joby Aviation, Google X, Waymo and Morgan Stanley.

The initial round of $ 11 million was led by Prime Movers Lab, with the participation of Y Combinator, Greycroft, Data Collective and Bold Capital Partners.

The bit we are interested in :-

Aerial application is one of the most demanding tasks for a pilot – that’s why we designed the Pyka Flight Engine from the ground up with a focus on precision, control, and reliability.

Flight Computer

Separate high-level and real-time processors, paired with a high-reliability FPGA ensure our flight computer is both versatile and safe. This architecture enables the computer to simultaneously communicate with over 30 actuators and sensors while executing complex path planning algorithms.

Battery

Our aircraft are powered by redundant, swappable lithium polymer battery packs, designed by Pyka. Each pack combines best-in-class energy and power density with a fault-tolerant thermal management system.

Spray System

We’ve designed our spray system from the ground up for autonomy. At its core is our proprietary, high-speed centrifugal pump which delivers chemical to a pair of lightweight carbon composite spray booms. Software-controlled variable rate application delivers chemical precisely where it’s needed.

BLDC Motor Controller

Pyka’s sensorless Brushless DC (BLDC) motor controller meets the high power demands of electric propulsion while remaining small and lightweight for efficient flight. Its innovative features and monitoring capabilities improve propulsion system performance, versatility, and reliability.