Prioria Maveric
Maveric UAV in Flight
Role Tactical, Squad-level, Hand-launched
Manufacturer Prioria Robotics, Inc.

The Prioria Robotics Maveric is a discontinued unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) marketed as a high-performance, next-generation platform for small and miniature UAV operations. Maveric's bendable wings allow for the ability to store a fully assembled airframe in a 6-inch (150 mm) tube.[1]

Design

Maveric can be deployed immediately with no assembly,[2] with a claimed dash speed of 55 knots (63 mph; 102 km/h). Marketed as the first smart, customizable SUAS, Maveric utilizes Prioria's proprietary processing platform, Merlin.[2]

Operation

Maveric is capable of fully autonomous operation from launch to landing using waypoints,[2] or it can be flown manually by a human pilot via a simple joystick under autopilot assistance.[3]

Maveric was designed for operation by a single user in a military, tactical setting. To accomplish this goal, the airframe had to be small and light enough (2 lb) for a single user to transport, but with large enough wings (28 in) to support the weight of the batteries, cameras, and electronics sufficient for up to one hour of flight-time.[3]

To overcome issues of portability and assembly time, designers employed a bendable-wing design. This design allows for Maveric's wings, which are large enough to meet the desired operational requirements to collapse and wrap around its fuselage and be placed in a 6-inch-diameter (150 mm) tube, while remaining in a fully assembled state. This has two advantages. It allows the aircraft to be stored in a small space, and it makes the aircraft capable of immediate launch on removal from storage. The flexible wings were also claimed to produce a dampening effect called "apative washout" that would allow the UAS to be flown in heavy wind gusts.[2]

The bendable wings and bird-like profile were also claimed to produce an effect of biological camouflage.[4]

In 2015, Prioria vendor Condor Aerial alleged that Prioria was providing false specifications for the Maveric UAV, selling a hobby-grade drone at a military-grade price and selling refurbished drones as new. The complaint included allegations that the UAV was easily damaged and also consisted of sworn statements by a prior employee who claimed that then-CEO of Prioria was knowingly falsifying information on government contracts.[5][6][7] A report by NOAA documented that their own Maveric drones lasted over six years without mechanical incident over the course of 4,500 combined sorties.[8]

Condor won a breach of contract suit with a jury award of $1.5 million on December 7, 2017, and a writ of execution was assessed on Prioria's assets in January, 2018.[9][10] The verdict was appealed, but the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on January 29, 2018, and the appeal has been on hold ever since.[11][12]

Former operators

See also

References

  1. ↑ Lee, Shian (2018). Actuation and Control of Wing Warping via Tendon-sheath Mechanism for Flexible Membrane Wing Mini-UAV (Thesis). Nanyang Technological University. doi:10.32657/10356/75847. hdl:10356/75847. S2CID 181449427.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Maveric Mini Unmanned Aerial System (MUAS)". AirForce Technology. Verdict Media Unlimited. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  3. 1 2 Crane, David (May 23, 2011). "Prioria Robitics Maveric Flexible-Wing Mini-UAS". Defense Review. DefenseReview.com. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  4. ↑ Vergun, David (November 25, 2013). "Army purchases bird-like, micro-unmanned aerial system". ARNEWS. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
  5. ↑ Musgrave, Shawn (November 3, 2015). "Drone Company Misled Military into Buying UAVs that Were Basically Toys: Lawsuit". Vice.
  6. ↑ "Former Vendor Sues Manufacturer Charging Misconduct". www.aero-news.net.
  7. ↑ Caplan, Andrew (December 2, 2018). "Prioria Robotics complainant calls for criminal charges". Gainesville Sun.
  8. ↑ Zarzar, Chris; Moorhead, Robert; Coffey, John (September 15, 2014). "NOAA Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Program" (PDF).
  9. ↑ Caplan, Andrew (January 19, 2018). "Assets seized at Prioria Robotics". Gainesville Sun.
  10. ↑ Caplan, Andrew. "Prioria Robotics complainant calls for criminal charges". gainesville.com. The Gainesville Sun. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  11. ↑ "Court Records - Case #01-2015-CA-2544-K". www.alachuaclerk.org.
  12. ↑ "Court Records - Case #1D17-4643". www.alachuaclerk.org.
  13. ↑ United States Army purchases Maveric bird camouflage UAS Archived 2013-12-03 at the Wayback Machine - Armyrecognition.com, 26 November 2013
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