Mary-Lou Smulders is Chief Marketing Officer at Dedrone. Dedrone is a world leader in smart airspace security. Hundreds of commercial, government and military customers around the world rely on Dedrone’s comprehensive, command and control solution to protect against the persistent and escalating threat from drones while enabling “good” drones to fly. By leveraging AI/ML, Dedrone is the only solution that provides continuous, autonomous drone interrogation and verification that enables both multi-sensor and multi-mitigation options onto a single "pane-of-glass". Dedrone customers can easily detect, track, identify, analyze and mitigate drone threats.
During her twenty-year high-tech career, Mary-Lou has served as Chief Marketing Officer at several enterprise software entities including financial technology company 9th Gear and crisis communication systems leader AtHoc. Additionally, she served as Senior Vice President of Global Applications and Services Marketing for Oracle Corporation and started her career as a rig engineer.
In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Mary-Lou talks about Dedrone and the role of AI and Machine Learning in creating an effective drone mitigation system.
Beth Flippo is CEO of Drone Express. Drone Express is an innovative aviation company disrupting last-mile logistics by embracing autonomous flight. Founded in 2021, the company uses drones to deliver safe, reliable, autonomous, eco-friendly packages nationwide to customers. They have secured strategic nationwide corporate partnerships with The Kroger Company, Papa John’s International, Winsupply, and other retailers. The FAA formally accepted its Part 135 application. Upon completion, Drone Express will be one of only a few companies certified to perform unmanned beyond visual line of sight deliveries in the United States. On September 13, Drone Express launched their drone delivery service in Winston-Salem.
Beth is an accomplished embedded engineer with over 20 years of experience in the finance and technology industries. She has designed and developed advanced mobile communications solutions and is passionate about robotics and unmanned systems. Before launching Drone Express, Beth was Vice President of Embedded Software Development at TELEGRID Technologies.
She began her career in the finance industry in New York City, designing systems for quantitative trading and financial analysis for equity transactions on the New York Stock Exchange. Her experience includes several prestigious investment banks and brokerage firms, including UBS PaineWebber, Cantor Fitzgerald, and Goldman Sachs. Beth holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the Thomas Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of New York at Binghamton. She is a licensed drone pilot with the FAA and has a radio operator license, W2QNB, from the FCC.
In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Beth talks about Drone Express, the company’s official launch into Winston-Salem and how autonomous drone delivery can provide economic and ecological benefits to communities.
Juan Plaza is CEO of Plaza Aerospace, a Boca Raton based consulting company specializing in crewed and uncrewed aviation, Latin American Business Development and GIS consulting. The company helps organizations reach their goals faster by selecting the right platforms and implementing the best deployment practices. Prior to forming Plaza Aerospace in 2015, Juan spent more than 26 years as a Sales Director for companies such as Autodesk and Trimble Navigation, in Latin America where he developed a network of software and hardware distributors willing and eager to represent new products in their respective countries. Juan has more than 750 hours of experience in photogrammetry navigation and camera operation in various and holds a Commercial, Multi-engine Pilot certificate.
December 30, 2023 a helicopter and a drone collided in midair in the vicinity of the Daytona Beach International Airport. The FAA initially classified the accident as a collision with an object/terrain, but it was only after Juan contacted the FAA, on behalf of the pilot, that the real facts of the collision become known.
In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Juan talks about the mid-air collision and its relevancy for the drone industry and drone operators.
Amol Parikh is co-CEO of Doodle Labs. Doodle Labs designs and produces industrial-grade wireless networking solutions. The company focuses on mesh networking for robotic systems, providing high throughput, long-range Mesh Rider solutions for a variety of government/defense, private wireless and other applications. Doodle Labs has offices in the United States and Singapore, and has been named to Fast Company’s list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2024.
Doodle Labs is a leader in providing industrial-grade wireless networking solutions. Their radios are widely used in military situations, because of their anti-jamming capability providing drone operators with much improved signal strength and continuity. Doodle Labs’ breakthrough development of multi-band technology can benefit several commercial applications, as well.
In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Amol talks about Doodle Labs, its revolutionary mesh communication radios, and how multi-band technology can benefit military and commercial applications.
Today's guests are Oliver Heys and James Bassam of Surf Life Saving. Surf Life Saving is Australia's premier water safety, drowning prevention, and rescue organization. With 129 Surf Life Saving Clubs and over 77,000 members, it's one of the largest not-for-profit volunteer movements in Australia, dedicated to saving lives on the beach. A standout feature within Surf Life Saving is the Australian Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle Service, operating the largest coastal UAV surveillance program in the Southern Hemisphere. The Australian UAV Services uses drones to monitor sharks off the coast of New South Wales, enhancing bather protection while minimizing harm to sharks and other marine life.
Oliver, Surf Life Savings Chief Remote Pilot & Capability Coordinator, oversees regulatory compliance and brings a wealth of experience since joining the organization in 2020. Oliver's dedication to the UAV industry earned him a finalist spot for the Remotely Piloted Aircraft Professional of the Year at the Australian Aviation Safety Awards in 2023.
James is the Australian UAV Service Operations Manager for Safety and Compliance. With a background in crewed aviation and roles as a Commercial Pilot, Flight Instructor, and Head Teacher of Aviation, James leads the operational delivery team. He has spearheaded numerous projects to enhance the capabilities of the Australian UAV Service.
In 2023, Surf Life Saving introduced long-range drones to monitor the coastal waters of New South Wales. This cost-effective, non-invasive technology has been successful in ensuring the safety of swimmers and surfers while minimizing the impact on marine life. The public response has been overwhelmingly positive, with increased confidence in water safety where UAVs are deployed.
In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Oliver and James discuss Surf Life Savings, the use of drones to monitor sharks and the evolution of Australia’s long range UAV coastal monitoring program.
Bill Irby is CEO of AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc., a global technology innovator focused on enhancing situational awareness. The company provides customer-centric, advanced robotics solutions, beginning with autonomous drones that are high-value and solve mission-critical problems. Founded in 2010, AgEagle was originally formed to pioneer proprietary, professional-grade, fixed-winged drones and aerial imagery for the agriculture industry. Today, AgEagle is a leading provider of full stack drone solutions for customers worldwide in the energy, construction, agriculture, and government verticals.
Their eBee drone is autonomous, safe, ultra-light and easy to use. They are the first UAVs to be approved by the FAA for Operations Over People and Operations Over Moving Vehicles in the U.S. They are also the first drone to receive the European Union Aviation Safety Agency Design Verification for BVLOS and Operations Over People. The drones have performed over one million flights globally and are lightweight, hand-launched, and able to operate vast distances Beyond-Visual-Line-of-Sight (BVLOS).
Bill is a United States Naval Academy alum with more than 25 years of senior management experience in uncrewed air and maritime systems, actuation hardware, ISR systems, and communication systems.
He served as a Vice President at Northrop Grumman, one of the world’s largest weapons manufacturers and military technology providers, generating $30 billion annually. More recently, he was President of MTI and Steel Partners Holdings, a diversified global holding company with operations in industrial products, energy, defense, supply chain management and logistics.
Bill is also an active Board member of Ghost Robotics and Chairman of the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International. He also served as President of VBAT after Shield AI’s acquisition and L3 Harris. Bill holds a Master’s degree in Technical Management from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the United States Naval Academy.
In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Bill talks about AgEagle’s evolution into a full-stack drone company, and he discusses recent deals that demonstrate the company’s success in the marketplace.
Chris Sanders is Senior Manager for Verizon Frontline Crisis Response Team. The Crisis Response Team is a national, rapid deploy, professionally trained team who solve routine and complex communication challenges in all environments. This team of multi-disciplinary provide on-demand emergency assistance to government agencies, first responders, frontline workers and communities—to help maintain mission-critical communications.
Chris is the Verizon Frontline Senior Manager for Crisis Response for Georgia and Alabama, as well as the developer and leader of the crisis response UAS team. He draws upon his experience from ten years on active duty in the United States Army where he served as a tactical air traffic control operator and senior noncommissioned officer to provide a calm demeanor during times of crisis. His experience also includes several years of work in the UAS industry working on mapping, photogrammetry, LiDAR, and beyond visual line of sight operations. He holds a bachelor’s degree in unmanned systems and robotics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a Master’s degree in Geographical Information Systems and cartography from The University of Southern California.
Earlier this year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Verizon Frontline have signed a three-year Cooperative Research and Development Agreement to explore new strategies to rapidly deploy uncrewed aircraft systems to collect and distribute imagery of damage resulting from severe storms such as tornadoes or hurricanes.
As part of this partnership, the Verizon Frontline Crisis Response Team will provide the uncrewed aircraft system platform, sensor, and personnel resources needed to rapidly respond and collect aerial imagery of storm-damaged areas of interest identified by NOAA.
The goal is to enhance the ability of NOAA’s National Weather Service offices to quickly conduct post-storm damage assessments, while also providing data for research conducted by the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory. This data will be used to help researchers better understand tornado behavior and impacts with a goal of improving warnings.
In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Chris talks about the Verizon Frontline Crises Response Team, the partnership with NOAA and how systematic data collection can aide local communities in redeveloping after a disaster.
Arthur Erickson is CEO and Founder of Hylio Drones. Hylio develops and offers innovative drone systems that automate precision agriculture treatments. Hylio is American owned and operated, and its drones are made in the USA with US and globally sourced components. Using Hylio’s technology, farmers/producers can now apply crop treatments directly to problem areas, allowing farmers to increase yields by addressing pests and deficiencies with more accuracy and efficacy
Earlier this year, Hylio received first ever FAA exemption for 55+ pound drone swarms to fly over agricultural lands. Under the exemption, Hylio has been granted permission to swarm up to three 55+ pound UAVs at a time with one pilot and no visual observer. The drones will monitor crops using AI, plant seeds and perform spray applications of fertilizer, pesticides, and more. This achievement sets an important precedent for the commercial UAS industry and lays the groundwork for other operators to file and obtain the same permissions.
Arthur received a degree in Aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. While working as a UAS researcher at UT, he started Hylio in 2015 alongside fellow students. Arthur has led Hylio from their early days of prototyping through the present. Today, Hylio’s systems are owned and operated by hundreds of farmers and applicators in both the US and abroad.
In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Arthur talks about Hylio, the FAA exemption for agricultural drone swarms and how this will impact the drone industry.
How effective are drones in monitoring coastal areas?
Mathieu Johnsson is CEO and Founder of Marble, a drone services company in England that provides maritime monitoring using fleets of high speed drones. The drones are used to monitor coastal areas for illegal fishing, drug trafficking, and human trafficking, providing real time data to suit clients needs.
Mathieu Johnsson's passion for aerospace began in childhood, influenced by his family of aviators and skydivers. During his aerospace engineering studies, Mat focused intensely on the future of aviation, from flying wings to hydrogen aircraft, often prioritizing personal projects over formal lectures. His dedication continued into his professional career at Airbus, where he converted his workshop into a makeshift bedroom to devote more time to building aircraft. His innovative work on 3D printing drones led him to a role in Airbus's secretive "Future Projects Office." Eventually, Mat’s ambition to drive change led him to found Marble, where for the past eight years, his company has been developing technology to deploy drones at sea on a large scale.
In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Mat talks about Marble and the use of drones to monitor coastal areas for a variety of marine situations.
How are advanced drone technologies revolutionizing global delivery systems?
For that question, we head to San Francisco to speak with Keenan Wyrobek and Juan Albanell of Zipline. Zipline is the world’s first drone delivery service whose focus is delivering life-saving medicine to the most difficult to reach places on earth. The company designs, manufactures and operates the world’s largest autonomous logistics system. Used every day by businesses, governments and consumers, Zipline’s fully electric and autonomous drones reduce delivery emissions by up to 97% compared to gas cars. It has flown more than 70 million autonomous miles, and has delivered millions of items including more than 15 million vaccine doses.
Keenan Wyrobek is co-founder and head of product and engineering at Zipline. Prior to Zipline, Keenan was a co-founder and director of the Personal Robotics Program at Willow Garage. He was involved in launching and growing the Robot Operating System (ROS) and shipping PR2, the first personal robot for software R&D. Keenan has spent years delivering high tech products to market across a range of fields including consumer electronics, sportswear, and medical robotics.
Juan Albanell is Head of System Engineering, where he has led engineering efforts to scale up Platform 1 across the world and is now focused on getting Platform 2 from prototype to first customer releases. Prior to Zipline, Juan led a small team at Apple working on taking emerging sensing and display technologies from lab bench to automated production lines. He has dedicated his engineering career on taking early stage concepts to reliable customer products through a focus on test and automation.
In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Keenan and Juan talk about Zipline, its long-distance Platform 1 delivery service and the company’s plans to scale short-distance Platform 2 home delivery services.
George Matus is CEO and founder of Teal Drones, a trailblazing U.S. company at the forefront of innovative drone technology for both commercial and military applications. With advancements in air control, data processing, and mapping technologies, Teal is revolutionizing operations for the military, public safety, and various commercial sectors. Its flagship Teal 2 Drone is a model of security, intelligence, and high performance that meets the stringent standards of the U.S. defense industry.
George started Teal Drones in 2014 when he was only a sophomore in high school. By 2023, he was named CTO of Red Cat Holdings, the parent company of Teal Drones. Red Cat is an end-to-end drone solutions company based in the United States that is accelerating the future of aerial robotics to transform the way we live and work.
In Episode 412, I interviewed Michael Robbins, Chief Advocacy Officer at the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International or AUVSI. In that podcast, we explored the importance of U.S. competitiveness in the drone industry. In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, builds on this theme by highlighting the ascent of Teal Drones as a manufacturing leader and sheds light on the expanding opportunities for American drone companies in the global market.
How do we take control of truly dangerous drone situation?
Jeffrey Starr is Chief Marketing Officer at D-Fend Solutions. D-Fend Solutions is the leading global provider of cyber-takeover, counter-drone solutions for sensitive and challenging environments. By focusing on the acute drone threat, their technology enables organizations around the world to maintain full control, safety, and continuity during rogue drone incidents across complex and sensitive environments and be prepared for future threats. The company’s core offering, called EnforceAir, automatically executes radio frequency cyber-takeovers of rogue drones for safe landings and safe outcomes.
Jeffery brings a track record of generating revenue and building market leadership through visionary business strategies. Prior to joining D-Fend Solutions, Jeffrey served as CMO and in executive roles at AlgoSec, Cellebrite, Verisk 3E, Magic Software Enterprises and Amdocs. Jeffrey also served as General Partner at Mission Ventures VC fund and as an Analyst at Booz Allen.
In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Jeffrey talks about D-Fend Solutions and ways the company is helping organizations throughout the world create safer skies by controlling dangerous drone situations.
How is drone technology making STEM education more accessible and fun for students of all background?
Rob Harvey is Executive Chairman and Cofounder of For the Win Robotics. For The Win Robotics fosters critical thinking and lifelong curiosity through the power of experiential STEM and computer science education. With its Build – Fly - Code program, the company has developed an innovative education system offering educators new professional development opportunities while making STEM and computer science education fun for learners. For The Win Robotics is currently used in more than 1,000 schools across the United States. By promoting collaboration, critical thinking and curiosity, For The Win is building essential skills that today’s students need to become the workforce of the future. Rob is a visionary brand builder with more than 20 years of experience elevating unique voices and guiding industry leaders to new technologies. As an executive within the music industry, he defined mainstream culture by breaking 50 #1 songs and promoting artists like Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Drake, and Eminem.
He held influential positions at two major record labels before transitioning to Spotify, where he leveraged real-time data, consumer insights, and customer feedback to champion new business models and elevate brands globally. In the process, Rob helped redefine the record industry as we know it today.
Rob’s ability to amplify brands and identify gaps in the market led him to pivot to education, where he recognized a need for better STEM and computer science-based education technology. As executive chairman, CEO and cofounder of For The Wine Robotics, he pioneered the Build - Fly - Code program and released a first-of-its-kind curriculum to schools across the United States.
In 2023, For The Win unveiled Hopper, its newest drone, designed for hands-on learning and revolutionizing STEM education by providing the tools to make coding, robotics, and engineering fun and accessible for students.
Developed by a team of aerospace, education and technology experts, Hopper represents the evolution of FTW’s Build | Fly | Code program. Hopper’s robust, reusable hardware and software is built around a closed, secure system. The drone, powered by a dual-core processor for communication and flight control, features a lens for advanced computer vision technology, including infrared and color capabilities, allowing for Wi-Fi-driven, real-time data and image information transmission. Validated through 889 Compliance, Hopper empowers educators to expand future-additional and hands-on STEM learning to all learners, including underserved communities and students of all abilities.
In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Rob talks about For The Win Robotics, the Hopper Drone and how new drone technology is enhancing STEM Education.
Amit Ganjoo is a serial entrepreneur and Founder and CEO of ANRA Technologies, an Award Winning Drone Operations and UAS Traffic Managment Platform provider based in Washington DC. The company’s platform is used by multiple commercial and government entities for running and managing commercial drone operations.
As advance air mobility efforts accelerate and the use of air taxis becomes a reality, vertiport design and operation is becoming a paramount concern, especially when considering scaling up to meet service demands across many cities and regions. ANRA Technologies is at the forefront of this discussion with their innovative Vertiport Management System, which integrates disparate data into a single platform to seamless manage the integration and operation of a vertiport.
Amit has over 20 years of aviation, telecom and wireless experience in both the federal and the commercial space. He is an engineer, a licensed pilot, following a lifelong passion in aviation and builds experimental aircrafts.
Until December 2016, he acted as the co-chair for FCC’s Technical Advisory Council (TAC) for 5G and IoT, which included ground and airborne autonomous vehicles. He was the Director of Engineering at and Principal Architect at Ericsson, providing telecom solutions to commercial customers and Federal Government, where he was the recipient of the Athena Award. He was also the Founder and CEO of a Mobile Marketing company from which he had a successful exit in 2009.
Deployed as part of the Expeditionary Strike Group, he was chief system architect for Navy 4G LTE Sea Pilot, delivering a one of a kind turn-key, secure, unmanned airborne/afloat autonomous 4G LTE Network with applications to directly support the war fighter. He architected the first ever approved classified security architecture for 4G LTE in line with NSA Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) framework, approved for operational deployment in DoD in 2012.
Amit is also an adjunct professor at the George Mason University and shares his passion for engineering by teaching in the School of Engineering and volunteers at a local Maker Space in the D.C. area.
In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Amit talks about ANRA Technologies’ Vertiport Management System and how it will help local communities and AAM providers scale up to meet demand.
Louisa Smith is Chief Aviation Officer at Apian, a healthcare logistics company founded by a team of National Health Service doctors in the United Kingdom. The Apian platform integrates both healthcare and aviation systems, creating a fully autonomous, on-demand delivery system that improves patient health outcomes and staff well-being. The autonomous drone delivery service will provide timely access to prescriptions, wound care, and other frequently needed medical products. In the long term, this could allow healthcare providers to reduce the number of canceled procedures, and thus decrease wait times.
Before joingin Apian, Louisa was the Head of Research and Development at National Air Traffic Service and a former Military Air Traffic Control Officer, she is now bringing her aviation knowledge and experience to Healthcare.
In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Louisa talks about the efforts of Apian to develop drone delivery services for the National Health Service in the United Kingdom.
Eric Allison is Chief Product Officer at Joby Aviation. Joby builds quiet, all-electric aircraft to connect people like never before. With up to 150 miles of range and the ability to take off and land vertically, the Joby aircraft will change the way people move while reducing the acoustic and climate footprint of flight.
Their long-term vision is to build a global passenger service that helps the world connect with the people and places that matter most, while helping to protect our precious planet. As well as strategic partnerships with Toyota, Delta, Uber, and many more, Joby has a team of more than 1400 engineers and experts working to bring aerial ridesharing to our skies.
Prior to joining Joby, Eric led the Elevate team at Uber, developing software tools that built on more than a decade of experience enabling on-demand mobility. His experience in aerospace research, electric propulsion, energy storage, vehicle autonomy, and composite structures led him to the CEO position at Zee Aero, where he spearheaded the development of Cora, an autonomous air taxi vehicle. Eric holds a PhD in Ae ronautics and Astronautics from Stanford, an MS in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford, and a BS from the Milwaukee School of Engineering.
In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Eric talks about Joby Aviation, their revolutionary EVTOL Air Taxi and the not-too-distant future of urban air mobility service.
How will smaller, more powerful radar sensors change the way drones are used in first responder programs?
David Cameron ia Field Services Engineer and Lead UAS Pilot at MatrixSpace. MatrixSpace is a radar sensing company that produces the next generation of AI-enabled sensing that can identify objects and collect data in real time, with no cloud requirements. The company builds the smallest radar system to provide new levels of integrated outdoor surveillance, monitoring and inspection from both stationary and airborne platforms. One of promising uses for MatrixSpace radar systems is enhancing drone-as-first-responder or DFR programs for short.
David brings 33 years of service with the City of Campbell Police Department, where he held a variety of critical roles, most recently leading the department’s DFR (drone as first responder) operations. He remains a Reserve Officer. As Field Services Engineer and lead UAS Pilot at MatrixSpace he drives the UAS-oriented solutions for this advanced radar company.
The small size and powerful capabilities of the sensors mean police departments using drones as first responders can deliver improved service and safety while at the same time, eliminating the need for rooftop visual observers.
In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, David talks about MatrixSpace, the evolution of drone as first responder programs and how MatrixSpace sensors can improve safety and operational efficiency of future DFR missions.
Why is it important that we strengthen U.S. competitiveness in the global drone industry?
Michael Robbins is Chief Advocacy Officer at the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI). AUVSI is the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of uncrewed systems and robotics. It represents corporations and professionals from more than 60 countries involved in industry, government and academia. AUVSI members work in the defense, civil and commercial markets.
Since joining AUVSI in 2020, Michael leads all advocacy, strategic communication, and cybersecurity initiatives. In 2015, he co-founded a business consulting firm, Intrepid, and serves as its Chief Operating Officer. Prior to starting Intrepid, Michael served as Managing Director of Government and Public Affairs at the Air Line Pilot Association, International. Before that, he spent a decade in the office of the late Congressman John Dingell in Michigan, where he served as the Chief of Staff.
Michael serves on the board of the Greater Washington Aviation Open and the National Advanced Mobility Consortium. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree from Georgetown University and is an officer in the United States Navy Reserve.
In this episode, Michael talks about the efforts to strengthen U.S. competitiveness in the drone industry and why this is critical for economic and security reasons.
How is Honeywell Positioned to Serve the Advance Air Mobility Market
For that question, we head to Phoenix to speak with David Shilliday, Vice President and General Manager of the Unmanned Aerial Systems and Urban Air Mobility business unit at Honeywell Aerospace. Honeywell’s UAS business develops new products and serves as a systems integrator for both airframe makers and operators in this fast evolving market. Its area of responsibility spans aircraft systems like avionics, electric and hybrid electric propulsion and thermal management; flight services such as unmanned air traffic management; and ground operations services such as predictive maintenance analytics. In November, Honeywell announced its Advanced Air Mobility business unit had secured contracts worth over $10 billion to build advance air mobility components, signifying the growth of AMM as a viable commercial sector for years to come.
David has been with Honeywell for over 18 years. Prior to his current role in the Advance Air Mobility Unit, David held several key leadership positions within the company, including Vice President and General Manager for the Power Systems business of Honewell and Vice President of EMEAI Airlines. He also led the Honeywell Aerospace Trading (HAT) business, as well as roles leading Aftermarket strategy and IP Licensing. Prior to joining Honeywell David had roles in Engineering and IP strategy within the commercial automotive market. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Arizona and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the WP Carey school at Arizona State University. David also holds a number of patents on innovative automotive safety technology and has published cooperative research in the field.
In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, David talks about Honeywell’s Advance Air Mobility Unit, it’s recent award of $10 billion in AAM related contracts and what this means for the future of advanced air mobility.
Will we soon be able to talk to our drones via text?
Vic Pellicano is CEO and Founder of Avianna, a Chicago-based software company working to bridge the gap between hardware and software excellence in the robotics industry. Avianna offers a suite of products that utilize artificial intelligence to enable drones and other robots to understand human language and operate autonomously. Their software enhances mission execution and simplifies data analysis and reporting. Imagine being able to command your drones or check on the status of your fleet using simple commands in English, such as “find a missing person” or “which drones are scheduled for missions today”
Vic is a successful entrepreneur in the software industry. Prior to starting Avianna, he launch Verenia in 2012, an e-commerce software company. After a decade of growth, Verenia was acquired by Oracle in 2022. With an interest in robotics, Vic turned his attention to making the interaction of humans and robots more seamless and intuitive. He launched Avianna in early 2023 with the aim of helping UAS manufactures make more responsive and intelligent unmanned vehicles.
In this edition of the Drone Radio Show Podcast, Vic talks about Avianna, its suite of AI-powered solutions and how we will soon be able to communicate with our drones via text.
How close are we to seeing autonomous air taxis?
Brian Yutko is CEO of Wisk Aero, an advanced air mobility company dedicated to delivering safe, everyday flight for everyone. Wisk’s self-flying, electric vertical takeoff and landing air taxi will make it possible for passengers to skip the traffic and get to their destination faster. Headquartered in the Mountain View, California, with locations around the world, Wisk is an independent company backed by The Boeing Company and Kitty Hawk Corporation. With over a decade of experience and over 1600 test flights, Wisk is shaping the future of daily commutes and urban travel, safely and sustainably.
Prior to joining Wisk, Brian served as Vice President and Chief Engineer for Sustainability and Future Mobility at Boeing, where he led a team that leveraged company’s technical expertise in sustainability technologies as well as emerging, advanced aerial mobility applications. He was the Chief Technologist for Boeing NeXt and sat on the Board of Directors for Wisk following its founding as a joint venture with Boeing.
Prior to his roles at Boeing, Brian was the Senior Vice President of Programs and Vice President of Research and Technology at Aurora Flight Sciences, an industry leader in aviation autonomy and rapid prototyping. Brian was a Research Engineer in the International Center for Air Transportation at MIT after earning a Ph.D. and Master of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT. He also earned a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from Pennsylvania State University.
In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Brian talks about the progress that Wisk Aero is making to develop and deploy autonomous air taxis, including the results of a recent successful air taxi flight demonstration at the Long Beach Airport.
Is there an easier way to scale aerial data collection?
Janne Hietala is a technology enthusiast and CEO of Finland based, Kelluu. Kelluu designs, manufactures and operates intelligent airships for persistent aerial monitoring. Kelluu’s fleet of hydrogen powered vehicles, capable of staying airborne for 12-hours, is equipped with an array of spectral cameras, sensors, and scanners. These instruments can gather real-time data on a diverse range of subjects, including terrain, vegetation, and infrastructure.
Janne's journey in entrepreneurship is noteworthy, with achievements such as bootstrapping a software company to a remarkable 15 million EUR in revenue, managing a team of 250 professionals across seven countries, and ultimately exiting the venture in 2021. His achievements were recognized in 2012 when he was honored with the prestigious Young Entrepreneur of the Year award. Founded in 2018, under Janne’s leadership, Kelluu has swiftly established itself as a key player in the creation of digital twins, catering to various applications and industries.
In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Janne shares his insights on how Kelluu's innovative hydrogen-powered airships are poised to revolutionize the way we approach aerial data collection, offering scalability and efficiency across numerous sectors.
How is cutting-edge radar technology shaping the future of drones and advanced air mobility?
Tom Driscoll is CTO and Founder of Echodyne, a Seattle startup bringing breakthrough radar capability to meet commercial and defense needs across autonomy, security, and intelligence markets. At Echodyne, Tom leads the company’s world-class R&D efforts. Prior to Echodyne, Tom was Managing Director of the Metamaterials Commercialization Center at Intellectual Ventures, the technology incubator which launched the world’s first metamaterials-enabled ventures. Recognized as a technologist, inventor, and entrepreneur with a drive to advance the art of the possible, Tom is a named inventor on over 100 patents, has co-founded five startups, and serves on the board of directors of three. He holds a PhD in physics from University of California San Diego, a B.S. in Physics from Harvey Mudd, and is an adjunct professor at Duke University.
In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Tom talks about Echodyne’s innovative radar sensors and how they’re used in the drone industry, most notably to support advance air mobility.
How can we make search and rescue training more real?
Roger Hall is CEO and Founder of 2D Dummies. 2D Dummies is reshaping the future of public safety training with their patent-pending, two-dimensional rescue manikins. Designed to precisely simulate the physical attributes & thermal signature of the human body, the 2D DUMMY is the ultimate solution for heightening the authenticity of training drills for public safety professionals. The 2D dimensional manikins have been used to enhance UAS search and rescue teams in variety of training scenarios, including firefighting, law enforcement, and military settings.
Roger is a retired firefighter with a 25-year career in New Hampshire and a passion for aviation. Holding both FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot and Part 61 Sport Pilot Certificates, Roger transitioned into the field of unmanned aerial systems after retirement. As one of DARTdrones' first UAS instructors, he has trained over 1,000 individuals and co-developed their Part 107 and Public Safety Training programs.
Always seeking to introduce reality into his training sessions, he developed a 2D dummy as a prop. Continued refinement and feedback led him to produce a life-like 2D Dummy that enhances public safety UAS search and rescue training.
In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Roger talks about how 2D Dummies are used in public safety UAS training to enhance search and rescue capabilities and build emotional resilience within organizations.
Philip Butterworth-Hayes is publisher and editor of Unmanned Airspace.info, the world’s first internet-based information portal dedicated to the global community of UTM and C-UAS system providers and operators. The site provides daily news on UTM and C-UAS development and deployments, alongside a glossary of system providers and current plans of states and agencies to deploy systems worldwide.
Philip has extensive experience as a consultant and writer specializing in air traffic management, aviation safety, military and civil aviation issues. He was formerly Managing Editor of Jane’s Transport Press and editor of Jane’s Airport Review, Jane’s World Airlines, Jane’s Defense Industries and Jane’s Aircraft Component Manufacturers.
He has been the Director of Communications and Strategy at the Civil Air Navigation Services Organization in Amsterdam and is currently the editor of Skyway, the official journal of EUROCONTROL, the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation.
He is the editorial director of PMI Media Limited, specialist contract publishers for the defense and aerospace industries, whose clients have included the European Defense Agency and Airbus Defense and Space. He is also a regular contributor on ATM and aviation safety issues to global broadcast and print media, including the BBC, CNN and the Wall Street Journal.
In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Philip highlights five trends shaping urban air mobility today and he talks about some of the communities that are leading the way in air mobility.