Central New York Startup Modovolo Pioneers Affordable, Modular Drones for Civilian and Military Use

Ever dreamed of a drone that snaps like Legos, soars for hours, and won’t break the bank? That’s Modovolo’s wild ride from a NY garage—hang on tight.

A startup in rural Oneida County, New York, is developing inexpensive, lightweight drones that offer extended flight times and customizable payloads, positioning Central New York as a hub for drone innovation. Modovolo’s approach draws from automotive pioneers like Henry Ford, aiming to democratize drone technology much like the Model T revolutionized cars, as detailed in an interview by Syracuse.com.

Innovative Design and Manufacturing Drive Modovolo’s Drone Advancements

Modovolo focuses on a bicycle-wheel design for its drones, which enables lightweight construction and modular configurations. This allows the drones to fly for hours (see video below) while carrying various payloads suited to civilian or military needs. Co-founder Arion Mangio developed this concept, emphasizing that drones should not cost exorbitant amounts and can perform as well as models priced at $200,000.

To produce the feather-light propeller blades, the team built a proprietary 3D printer nicknamed the “Big F****** Printer” or BFP. After operating in stealth mode for 2.5 years and securing patents, Modovolo launched publicly in March 2024. Demand surged immediately, prompting the company to expand production by building eight more BFPs, bringing the total to 10.

This technical innovation addresses key challenges in the drone industry, such as high costs and limited versatility. By using advanced 3D printing, Modovolo reduces manufacturing expenses and allows rapid prototyping, which could lower barriers for recreational pilots and professionals seeking customizable UAVs for tasks like surveying or delivery.

Lean Principles and Autonomous Culture Fuel Company Growth

Modovolo’s founders, Justin Call and Arion Mangio, met at a 2019 business plan competition in Rome, New York. They spent years discussing principles that define successful companies, resulting in the Modovolo ethos—13 guidelines inspired by Honda and Toyota.

“Autonomy is the biggest [thing],” says Call, the CEO. “There are so many companies that have this top-down philosophy. The executives have to tell everyone what to do. It’s this old military mentality: The general’s leading, and then orders something, and then all the orders go down.”

The company promotes employee autonomy, allowing team members to solve problems independently.

Call explains this shift: “Instead of giving an order, they say, you need to achieve ‘X.’ You have to figure out how to do it, though. Smart people love that because they like solving problems and they like controlling their time and what they’re working on.”

To embed these principles, weekly discussions include stories of application, such as “walking the Gemba”—observing the production floor to understand issues deeply.

Call notes, “Executives get worried about repeating themselves on these things, so they’ll just say it once. But that’s not enough. You need to say it, literally, a thousand times because otherwise it won’t become second nature.”

This raises questions about scalability in the drone sector, where rapid growth often introduces bureaucracy. Modovolo counters this by fostering a culture where employees make autonomous decisions based on shared principles, potentially enabling faster innovation and adaptation to market demands.

Central New York’s Role as a Drone Innovation Hub

Call describes Upstate New York as “the center of the drone universe,” citing the region’s unique assets. The area hosts the first MQ-9 Reaper Attack Wing, along with engineering firms like Saab Sensis and SRC, which specialize in air object detection. Nonprofits such as NUAIR and companies like ResilienX are developing drone traffic management systems that influence global standards.

The federally designated drone corridor in New York enhances testing capabilities, drawing on local expertise in autonomy and artificial intelligence from the Air Force Research Laboratory. This ecosystem supports startups like Modovolo, which is one of 11 semifinalists in the GENIUS NY competition for $3 million in funding and accelerator resources in Syracuse.

Economically, this concentration could boost job creation in drone-related fields, with Modovolo employing 12 people—many Le Moyne College students or graduates—some working for equity. Operationally, the region’s talent pool enables advancements in UAV performance, potentially making high-end features accessible to more users.

Challenges and Future Implications for the Drone Industry

Hardware development presents significant hurdles, as Call admits: “In hardware and in aerospace, things go epically wrong all the time. … the amount of failure you have to tolerate. I’m used to failure, but not at this level and consistently. It’s super demoralizing.”

Building on that, pre-revenue status adds pressure amid high demand, with customers requesting large orders like 600 units. This highlights trends toward mass adoption of drones in daily life over the next 10 to 20 years, per Mangio’s vision.

Regulatory implications tie into Central New York’s strengths, where the drone corridor facilitates safe integration into airspace. For recreational pilots, affordable modular drones could expand hobbyist applications, while professionals benefit from cost-effective tools for industries like agriculture or defense. However, balancing innovation with safety standards remains crucial as the sector scales.

Modovolo’s story underscores how regional hubs can drive global drone progress, offering a model for efficient, user-focused UAV development without excessive costs.

Photos courtesy of Modovolo.