09-26

From Energy Harnessing to Marine Robotics & Back Again

Pliant Energy Systems Inc began as a renewable energy startup with concepts that proved to be more fund-able when applied to marine robotics. The company’s founder, Pietro Filardo, will tell the unusual story how of a very small startup repeatedly pivoted to win $20M of government funding to develop their technology.

Pietro’s video-heavy presentation will show how initial concepts and sketches materialized into generators, pumps, and propeller-less autonomous underwater robots that traverse sand, ice and snow. He will also present an overview of Pliant’s ongoing US Navy funded marine robotics program and conclude with a new project that circles back to their foundational energy harnessing origins.