Buffalo Automation was founded by Thiru Vikram, Alexander Zhitelzeyf and Emilie Reynolds, who were engineering students at the
University at Buffalo.[3][8] Originating as a university
research project, the concept was transformed into a company in 2015.[9]
In early 2018, Buffalo Automation began tests of a 22-foot (6.7 m)-long
autonomous pleasure boat made by
Sea Ray, a boat manufacturer owned by the
Brunswick Boat Group.[21][22][23] Also in 2018, Buffalo Automation expanded its sales focus to Europe.[24] Fully autonomous navigation of
locks was
in development as of 2020.[25]
The Mayday
In 2020, Buffalo Automation introduced The Mayday (originally named Greycraft),[26] a free
app. Designed to encourage people to experiment with and experience
artificial intelligence technology that is otherwise not readily accessible to the average person,[27]The Mayday operates as a self-contained offline
neural network capable of detecting boats, ships, and other vessels visible to a
cell phone camera.[27]The Mayday app is also used to hail Buffalo Automation's Greycraft self-driving water taxis.[28][29]
Greycraft
In 2021, Buffalo Automation unveiled a self-driving
water taxi, Greycraft.[28] Fully autonomous, Greycraft uses cameras, laser scanners, radar, satellite, GPS, compass information, and
artificial intelligence (AI) to evaluate the surroundings and guide itself.[28] The autonomous
solar and electric-powered water taxi was first demonstrated to
Knoxville Mayor
Indya Kincannon on January 7, 2021.[30] As part of the region's
green urbanism efforts, as of 2021 Greycraft is pending government approval to allow public use as a water taxi or passenger
ferry in
East Tennessee.[31] Upon approval, patrons would access the water taxi service using Buffalo Automation's Maydayride-hailing app.[29]
The on-board
solar panels and
battery used to power Greycraft's engine and AI (
artificial intelligence) navigation system have a capacity of six hours and enable speeds up to 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph).[29]Greycraft's quiet engine and solar-charging system provide a
sustainable transport alternative, minimize marine acoustic disruption, and avoid environmental impacts associated with fuel and oil residue leaked in aquatic environments.[29]
In July 2021, a Greycraft ferry began service in the
Netherlands'
Kagerplassen lake district, "Europe's first commercial
robotaxi service".[33] Subsidized by funding from the
South Holland provincial government, the self-propelled Vaar met Ferry service connects pedestrian and bicyclists from
Warmond-Kagerzoom and
Leiderdorp to the
Koudenhoorn Recreation Area.[34][35][36] The ferry service was implemented in collaboration with the
Delft University of Technology, Future Mobility Network, Buffalo Automation, and the South Holland provincial government in order to provide a sustainable transport option and reduce crowding on the existing access bridge as COVID restrictions have increased recreation area usage.[37][38] Passengers use Buffalo Automation's Mayday
ridesharing app to hail the robotaxi.[38]
Buffalo Automation supplies the software and training to third party companies or organizations who own and operate the ferries.[39]
In 2016, Buffalo Automation secured its first
private placement, US$25,000 in pre-
seed investments from Launch NY and Z80 Labs. In 2018, it raised a total of $900,000 in a
seed funding round led by the
Jacobs family office, with Z80 making a US$100,000 follow-on investment.[3][7]
In 2020, the company raised US$650,000 through two rounds of
convertible note issuance. In the second, the
University at Buffalo's Innovation Seed Fund made its inaugural venture capital investment, investing US$250,000 in Buffalo Automation.[45][25] Varia Consulting Group subsequently matched that US$250,000 investment.[25]
Awards and recognition
In 2015, Buffalo Automation won the inaugural Buffalo Student Sandbox, an
accelerator program.[46]
In 2016, it won the
University at Buffalo's Henry A. Panasci Jr. Technology Entrepreneurship Competition.[47][1] The same year, the company was nominated as a finalist for the Innovation Award by
Lloyd's List,[48] and won the New York Business Plan Competition, under the Information Technology/Software category.[17][47]
In 2018, Buffalo Automation was a semifinalist in
43 North, a startup pitch competition.[49]
In 2019, Buffalo Automation's flagship product, the AutoMate won the second annual XCELLENCE Awards by the
Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) for Detect & Avoid Solutions.
NASA's ICAROUS placed second and Auterion's PX4 Avoidance was awarded third place.[50]
In 2022, Buffalo Automation was listed on DarkRound as one of the 101 Most Innovative Taxi Service Companies.[51]