Why GRYFN…and Why GOBI?

Last week we announced our latest #multimodal sensing chassis, the GOBI. As usual, our non- #Boilermaker friends ask us all the time…why the name GRYFN …and now, why "GOBI?"

GRYFN is a Purdue University startup; we got our real start in 2020 under a Department of Energy ARPA-E program led by eight multi-disciplinary Purdue professors. As a nod to our roots and our diverse background, GRYFN was named in honor of this history. While the first Purdue Seal design was in 1890, since 1894, the seal has included a couple of key components close to our hearts:

1. First, a winged griffin, which was borrowed from medieval heraldry as a symbol of strength, and
2. Second, a shield consisting of several parts that have varied over time symbolizing the arts, science, engineering, technology, and/or agriculture…a most fitting set of descriptors for where we came from, what we do, and who we are.

You have to follow this rabbit hole for a great story and quick read about the Purdue University Seal, griffins, and more.

So, no, sorry to disappoint…no Harry Potter themes or anything like that (you wouldn’t be the first to ask…or imply!) However, to continue our mythological storyline…ever since our initial prototypes, our multimodal chassis releases have been named after deserts. Why deserts? According to legend, griffins made their nests near gold mines in the Gobi Desert.

"Now the place where the griffins live and the gold is found is a grim and terrible desert. Waiting for a moonless night, the treasure-seekers come with shovels and sacks and dig. If they manage to elude the griffins, the men reap a double reward, for they escape with their lives and bring home a cargo of gold--rich profit for the dangers they face.“ --Greek author Aelian, c. AD 200

Then, for a legitimate side-trip from the American Museum of Natural History on griffins, deserts, fossils, and more...follow me, Alice...

Along the way, we have also tried to associate the release name with the power, beauty, and complexity of desert ecosystems: the Sahara (the largest hot desert), the Sonoran (one of the most ecologically diverse for our complex VNIR-SWIR-LiDAR-Thermal release), and the Mojave (concentration of diversity, land use, and inspiration...designed with agility in mind to support a variety of research objectives).

We have been saving GOBI, the home of the origin story of the griffin, for our smallest, easiest-to-use, and most powerful chassis yet. We look forward to carrying on the traditions of our Purdue University history as we support the important "treasure-seeking" of researchers around the world.

#GRYFN #MultimodalSensing #Drones #LIDAR #HyperspectralImaging #GNSS #Innovation #TechAnnouncement #DataCollection #UAV