Genius NY Finalist, Ascent AeroSystems Manufactures Drones In Central New York

Ascent’s founders, twin brothers Jon and Nate Meringer have scaled beyond assembling their cylindrical style drones in the lab at the Tech Garden to a local manufacturing facility in Central New York.

Coming off of their second place prize of $600,000 from the Genius NY finals pitch in March, Ascent is excited to ramp up their manufacturing. The Meringers, graduates of Syracuse University’s Aerospace Engineering program, were inspired to make the compact drone they named “Sprite” while working in Arizona and hiking the trails of Granite Mountain. Their idea was to provide hikers an aerial imaging platform for better perspective, helping keep them on the right path.

The Sprite Drone is one of the most portable and durable unmanned aerial vehicles available. Made of impact-resistant plastic and carbon fiber, it weighs just 2.5 pounds. With the motor off, the dual rotors automatically fold down, allowing the drone to easily fit in a backpack without the worry of fragile parts getting damaged.

Learn more about Ascent AeroSystems and how to purchase the Sprite Drone on their website.