When Oleksandr Gorpynich and Matan Kedar immigrated to the U.S. from Ukraine and Israel as 10-year-olds, they brought with them fond memories and a deep love for their homelands. They met at a middle school in San Jose, California, where they discovered their similar immigration stories and a shared interest in science and technology.
Now, with their home countries facing severe conflicts – Ukraine in a prolonged war and Israel grappling with regional tensions – the two friends are using their skills to address a critical challenge in these struggles.
Gorpynich and Kedar are developing a handheld device to help soldiers determine whether a drone is friend or foe. Using advanced radio frequency technology and military-grade encryption, the device will accurately identify small and medium-sized drones in real time.
Gorpynich, a computer science major at Cal Poly, and Kedar, a computer engineering student at San Jose State University, will receive support and funding for their startup, Skymark Systems, through the Summer Accelerator. This 12-week program at the Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) provides students with the resources to turn their ideas into startups.
They are refining the prototype and will soon send the devices for testing on the battlefield in Ukraine.
“We’ve spoken to many soldiers eager for a device like ours,” said Kedar, his earnestness evident. “We can’t wait to get it in their hands and receive their feedback. The next two months will be crucial.”
Helping Soldiers Distinguish Friend from Foe
Kedar and Gorpynich have a personal stake in the conflicts affecting their native lands.
Gorpynich’s uncle, fighting with a Ukrainian ground unit, was injured by a drone he couldn’t identify as enemy.
“He saw the drone too late, and it dropped a bomb, injuring his arm,” Gorpynich said, noting that his uncle is now back on the battlefield. While many of Gorpynich’s immediate family members have fled their homes, he still has extended family near Kyiv and Irpin.
In conversations with a Ukrainian journalist, Gorpynich learned about the psychological and physical toll soldiers face when spotting any drone.
“A drone sighting causes stress, which could lead them to move and potentially expose their position in battle,” Gorpynich explained.
Matan still has family near Tel Aviv and Herzliya, Israel, including cousins serving in the IDF. In Israel, conscription is mandatory for most citizens at age of 18, with men typically serving two and a half years and women serving about two years.
As a junior computer engineer at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, Matan has gained extensive experience in embedded systems. He drew upon this background while brainstorming ways to help from a distance.
He partnered with Gorpynich, who has experience as a junior software developer at Amazon and in security at Exclusive Networks, and the duo developed Skymark as a side project for four months before winning a spot in the Summer Accelerator.
With $10,000 in seed money from the program, they will continue enhancing the device, which they say could be as small as a Tic Tac box. Currently, soldiers often need to call a command post to identify drones, but this device will streamline identification with real-time visual indicators to determine whether a drone is friend or foe.
Right after Kedar and Gorpynich launched Skymark, a staggering statistic confirmed they were on the right track.
According to U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Michael Pruden, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has been shooting down nearly half of their own drones. As reported by the War Zone, Pruden cited a 40% destruction rate of their uncrewed aerial systems.
“It gets complicated when drones are virtually indistinguishable,” Kedar said.
In combat situations, most drones are used for surveillance, gathering intelligence and monitoring enemy movements. In Ukraine and Israel, these drones are crucial for detecting threats and guiding operations, highlighting the need for reliable identification systems to prevent friendly fire and enhance mission effectiveness.
Surveillance drones used in combat typically cost between $5,000 and $50,000, making the loss of even one a significant financial blow.
The next steps for Skymark include finalizing their pending patent and sending the device to Ukraine, where Gorpynich has military connections. He noted that testing will be easier to conduct in Ukraine due to its decentralized command structure.
One of their primary goals is to sell Skymark products to the Department of Defense, with the belief that the device could then be distributed to the U.S. military and its allies, including Israel and Ukraine.
“This idea feels meaningful, and I believe it needs to be done,” Gorpynich said. “It can really help people.”
By Emily Slater
About the Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
The CIE opens a world of entrepreneurial opportunities to Cal Poly students, faculty and community members, and promotes entrepreneurial activity and dialogue across the university and throughout San Luis Obispo County. For more information, visit here.
