Perrone Robotics Powers Innovation in Virginia

Perrone Robotics, Inc. has been refining and manufacturing its autonomous car software at its Albemarle County headquarters and test track since 2003. In addition to its turnkey solutions kits, which allow existing vehicles to be retrofitted as autonomous vehicles, the company provides services ranging from last-mile shuttles to logistics and work site operations.

Perrone's work with its clients includes self-driving vehicles for public transportation in numerous cities, autonomous trucks for Fortune 100 companies, and Canadian music legend Neil Young, who worked closely with the company to automate his cherished 1959 Lincoln Continental.

A leading innovator in the autonomous vehicles industry, Perrone Robotics has continued to grow its Virginia operation despite fierce competition from many other states. 

A History of Innovation

Albemarle County was a natural choice for Perrone’s headquarters. It also prompted the company to again select Virginia for the $3.8 million expansion of its research and development operation in 2017. While the company also considered California, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, it was the Commonwealth’s history of innovation in unmanned systems that helped seal the deal. 

It dates back to 1924, when the world’s first unmanned radio-controlled flight was completed at the facility that would become the United States Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Virginia. Since then, Virginia has hosted the first FAA-approved drone delivery in 2015 and the country’s first commercial drone delivery service in Christiansburg in 2019. That same year, Perrone’s Autonomous Vehicle, Neighborhood Use (AVNU) became the first fully autonomous shuttle to operate on public streets in Virginia.

Additionally, the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), the second-largest university-level transportation institute in the country, offers a number of unique infrastructure-related programs helping to define the transportation innovations of tomorrow.

The Right Environment at the Right Time

Virginia’s R&D assets, top-ranked education system, varied geography for testing, and proximity to Washington, D.C. have placed Virginia a cut above the rest in the race for unmanned systems investment. The area’s renowned livability, meanwhile, is a draw for employees.

The region in and around Albemarle County has long been known for its scenery and accessibility, offering theater, music, vineyards, craft breweries, historic sites, and other amenities. The area is also located near top-ranked University of Virginia (UVA).

All of these unique assets help attract and retain top talent, including recent graduates who possess the skills, aptitude, and passion for innovation that fuel this emerging industry. 

As a pioneering high-tech robotics and autonomous vehicle company, we’ve been able to establish a development center here with a private driverless vehicle test track, large robot maker space and workshop, and flexible office space. All this complete with the Blue Ridge Mountains as a backdrop and proximity to the emerging Crozet downtown mall. 

Paul Perrone, CEO, Perrone Robotics, Inc.

Nearly a century after the unmanned systems industry first took off from a Virginia runway, the Commonwealth remains at the forefront, offering an environment that fosters the growth of innovators like Perrone Robotics.