Platypus, LLC
Pittsburgh CMU spinoff founded 2012; Lutra autonomous airboat monitors water quality in fleets up to 25 vessels; deployed on every continent except Antarctica.
Platypus LLC is an autonomous marine robotics company spun out of Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute in 2012, founded by Christopher Tomaszewski. The company designs and manufactures unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) for environmental monitoring, water quality assessment, and bathymetric surveying of rivers, lakes, reservoirs, harbors, and coastal waterways.
The flagship product line is the Lutra series, which includes the Lutra Airboat and Lutra Prop variants. Both boats measure approximately 106 centimeters long, 48 centimeters wide, and 15 centimeters tall, weighing between 9 and 9.7 kilograms. The Lutra Airboat uses a fan-driven propulsion system that allows it to operate in extremely shallow water — as little as six inches deep — making it deployable in environments inaccessible to conventional vessels. The Lutra Prop uses a submerged propeller. Both platforms support advanced onboard autonomy.
The Platypus autonomy platform enables cooperative multi-vehicle deployments. Fleets of up to 25 Lutra boats have been deployed simultaneously to conduct distributed spatial surveys, significantly accelerating data collection compared to single-vessel methods. The sensor payload is modular: standard configurations measure dissolved oxygen, specific conductivity, temperature, and pH. Optional sensors include sonar for bathymetric depth mapping, and mass spectrometers for chemical analysis.
Platypus offers hardware for direct sale and provides environmental monitoring services, conducting data collection and water analysis on a contract basis. The company has conducted operations on every continent except Antarctica, including a 2014 Carnegie Mellon research project using Platypus boats to study hippo dung pollution in Kenya's Mara River Basin. Investors include Innovation Works and Braid Theory. The company is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and received early support from Carnegie Mellon's Project Olympus startup incubator.
Primary type & automation activities this supplier delivers:
Lutra Airboat
Autonomous fan-propelled surface robot 106x48x15 cm, 9 kg, operable in 6-inch-deep water; measures dissolved oxygen, conductivity, pH, and temperature; optional sonar and chemical sensors.
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Contact Platypus, LLC
WEBSITE
https://senseplatypus.comPHONE
+1 412-206-9635HEADQUARTERS
United States
Company Facts
Founded
2012
Primary Role
Manufacturer
Company Size
-
Primary Region
North America
Annual Sales
-
Funding Stage
-
Funding Total
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