Philadelphia - headquartered Exyn Technologies has raised $ 16 m in a series A funding round led by Centricus . Exyn , a spin - off from the University of Pennsylvania ’s GRASP Laboratory , has developed modular , advanced autonomous aerial robots ( AR ) . They can collect data even in " digitally starved " locations , such as underground mines , using a combination of pulsed laser lights , mapping and planning , rather than human intervention . For the better part of four years, Exyn has been refining “swarm” technologies designed to operate in dangerous environments Elm characterizes as “digitally starved” (i.e., lacking reliable data, like underground mines and indoor buildings). The A3Rs were debuted in the field last year and Exyn 's customers include the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency .
Philadelphia - headquartered Exyn Technologies has raised $ 16 m in a series A funding round led by Centricus . Exyn , a spin - off from the University of Pennsylvania ’s GRASP Laboratory , has developed modular , advanced autonomous aerial robots ( AR ) . They can collect data even in " digitally starved " locations , such as underground mines , using a combination of pulsed laser lights , mapping and planning , rather than human intervention . The A3Rs were debuted in the field last year and Exyn 's customers include the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency .