How can enterprise companies better manage their drone operations? 

Uzayr Siddiqui is founder and CEO of Drone Entry. Drone Entry is a ventured backed drone startup, that provides an online platform Software as a tool.  The tool provides enterprise companies with a ERP layer to build workflow compliance management between data processing tools and airspace management systems to effectively scale and manage their operations.  Drone Entry also helps drone pilots build their career, and build their credibility with other stakeholders in the industry.  In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Uzayr talks about the Drone Entry platform and how the company pivoted from a pilot-centric business to focus on serving the growing enterprise business sector. 

The Drone Industry in 2020

Miraim McNabb is Editor In Chief of DroneLife, the online source for the latest drone news, product releases, YouTube videos and legal precedents on the drone industry.  Miriam is a fascinated observer of the drone industry since 2013, when DroneLife launched. She has written and covered thousands of articles on the evolution and growth of the industry.  She is a frequent international speaker at drone industry events and writes for DRONELIFE on current news, financial trends, and FAA regulations. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies. In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Miriam talks about the drone industry in 2019, the outlook for 2020 and she shares her perspective a variety of drone related issues and trends.

Is it possible for drone users to create their own AI drone application?

Today’s guest not only says that it is possible, but with today’s tools, it is surprisingly easy to do so.  Murali Gopalakrishna heads up product management for autonomous machines at NVIDIA. He also leads the business development team that focuses on robots, drones, industrial IoT and enterprise collaboration products. Before joining NVIDIA in 2016, Murali was the global head of platform and technology strategy, leading the CTO’s office at Sony Mobile Communications. He was responsible for products ranging from phones, tablets and wearables to IoT platforms.  In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Murali talks about Nvidia’s Jetson line of AI products, how artificial intelligence is changing the way drones work and how Nvidia is extending AI tools to more and more developers so they can create new and more exciting applications.

What's the Best Way to Learn Something?

Some studies say that the best way to learn something is to put it to music or to make it funny. Today’s guest would go one step further and say do both.

Victor Villegas is a technologist at heart who enjoys helping people learn how to use technology to improve work and better their lives. He bridges techies and users and has a knack for explaining technology in simple and easy to understand terms. Victor supervises the Oregon State University Extension Computing Technology Unit which provides remote and onsite support to all the Cooperative Extension Offices and Regional Branch Experiment Stations across Oregon.  When not working, Victor is combining his love of drones, education and music to produce song parodies that promote the message of flying safe. He’s the Drone Singer (@DroneSinger). It’s been a while since he’s composed a new drone song, so sit back and enjoy some of his classics, as Victor shares some of his songs and talk about the inspiration and message behind his passion.

What would a mapping software designed for first responders look like?

For that question, we turn to Angad Singh, a Pix4D Technical Trainer based in Denver, Colorado.  Angad’s interest in UAS based photogrammetry started when he realized he could get incredibly high resolution data which would enable his research to make micro level insights. He has a passion for enabling people to understand the power and limitations of UAS to create great geospatial data. Angad's research background is in Remote Sensing and Precision Agriculture from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. 

For much of this year, Angad has been working to get Pix4D React into the hands of first responders. Pix4D React is the fastest 2D mapping software designed for public safety and humanitarian aid professionals.  It is intuitive and simple to use, even for people with little or no drone flight or photogrammetry experience.  In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Angad talks about Pix4D React and how it can support first responders and aid workers in increasing situational awareness.

What is the outlook for drones from Price Waterhouse Coopers?

For that question, we head to Warsaw, Poland to speak with Adam Wisniewski and Michael Mazur of the Drone Powered Solutions unit of Price Waterhouse Cooper.  Price Waterhouse Coopers or PwC) is a multinational professional services network with headquarters in London. PwC ranks as the second largest professional services firm in the world[5] and is one of the Big Four auditors. It is a network of firms in 158 countries, 721 locations, with 250,930 people.

In 2016, Drone Powered Solutions was formed and headquartered in Warsaw, Poland, as the first and globally unique Centre of Excellence powered by PwC. It specializes in commercial and industrial usage of drone technologies and helps clients from various industries maximize the potential offered by drones and geospatial data.  Adam and Michael lead a team that consists of professionals with various background – from management consultants with business experience to engineers, photogrammetry and AI experts. Drone Powered Solutions works with a wide range of international corporations in Europe, US, Canada, Middle East and Asia. 

In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Adam and Michael talk about PwC’s Drone Powered Solutions, why Poland was selected as the units headquarters and they share insights into the worldwide commercial drone industry.

Can A Drone Make Warehouses More Efficient?

Ian Smith is CEO and co-founder of Ware, a company that builds software for indoor drones that autonomously scan and track warehouse inventory.  Ian has more than 15 years in the drone industry, having worked at Delair, an industrial-grade, fixed-wine drone manufacturer in France and more recently, DroneDeploy, a leading software company that improves workflows for drone operations. He’s an entrepreneur, a commercial helicopter pilot and host and producer of the successful Commercial Drones FM podcast.  In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Ian talks about how drones are used to improve inventory management and how warehouse operators can use the technology to become more efficient and competitive.

Can Drones Play A Role As First Responders?

William “Fritz” Reber is a retired Patrol Operations Captain, having served 27 years with the Chula Vista Police Department.  It was there that Fritz conceptualized and implemented the Drone as First Responder Program for Chula Vista. This innovative deployment of drones in investigate calls for police service has proved to be highly effective and offers a model for other police departments looking to improve efficiency, response times and service to their citizens.  Fritz played a key role Chula Vista’s selection as the San Diego IPP Public Safety Concept of Operations. He also co-authored Chula Vista’s recent Beyond Visual Line of Sight safety assessment/waiver. Since retiring from the Chula Vista, he continues to work with the City’s police department as a consultant, assisting with the implementation of the drone as first responder program. In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Fritz talks about Chula Vista’s Drone as First Responder Program and how its helping to make the safer and more efficient.

What was the news out of DJI’s AirWorks Conference

That’s this week’s topic, as I traveled to Los Angeles to attend AirWorks 2019.  This podcast is part of a series on the conference with comments and presentations from key DJI representatives and partners.  You’ll get insights into the state of the drone industry, the current challenges, efforts to promote safety and security, and new product announcements.  In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, you’ll hear from Adam Lisberg, DJI’s Corporate Communications Director and Brendan Schulman, Vice President of Policy and Legal Affairs. 

How can seeing ourselves through the eyes of our adversaries strengthen counter UAS?

Scott Crino is CEO of Red Six Solutions. Red Six Solutions is a Red Teaming company that provides their clients with a view of themselves from the perspectives of their adversaries, enemies and competition. Red Six Solutions help clients discover over-the-horizon insights into as yet, unseen threats that can confound strategic decision-making and negatively impact the successful accomplishment of organizational objectives and strategic goals. 

Scott served 21 years in the U.S. Army as an Aviation and Operations Research/Systems Analysis officer in multiple combat zones holding several command and staff positions. Prior to his Red Six Solutions, Scott served as President of Crino Consulting Group and Managing Director at Teneo Holdings. He has planned and executed dozens of Red Team events for government, commercial and international clients. Scott has BS and MS degrees in industrial engineering from the University of Buffalo and Texas A&M, respectively, and a PhD in systems engineering from the University of Virginia. In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Scott talks about Red Six Solutions, Red Teaming and gives us insights into the current state of counter drone solutions.

Where To Make Money Now in the Drone Industry

Tom Walker is founder and CEO of DroneUp, the fastest growing drone services provider in the U.S.   DroneUp matches missions with small Unmanned Aerial System (sUAS) pilots. They locate, qualify, and deploy single pilot or multi-pilot crews according to their client’s requirements.  The company is committed to providing a comprehensive network of pilots while maintaining a steadfast commitment to safety and responsible operations.

Prior to DroneUp, Tom served as president of Web Teks, a leading online and mobile research and strategy development firm. A former military officer, Tom is a recognized pioneer in military and government digital reform, having managed the programming and web systems to support both the U.S. and International Special Forces. In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Tom talks about DroneUp, the current opportunities to make money in the industry and what the drone industry analysts seem to be missing.

What do investors look for in a drone based business?

Marco Rubin is Senior Investment Director at the Center for Innovative Technology in Virginia.  Marco leads seed and early stage investments in the aerospace/UAS, energy, and software sectors for CIT, and serves as a board member and mentor to numerous portfolio companies. During his career, Marco has invested in over 200 early-stage technology companies, held leadership roles with funds recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine’s Annual VC 100 list and has managed various funds in information security technology, software, telecommunications and medical devices. In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Marco talks about the Center for Innovative Technology and what venture capital funds and investors look for in a drone based business.

How important is relationship building in creating a successful drone based business?

Nicole Abbett is a Tampa based photographer, videographer, artist and drone operator. She is a graduate of the University of South Florida where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in photography. She honed her skills as an artist and photographer before starting her own commercial photography business. A few years ago, Nicole picked up a drone and launched a new career as a droneographer. After getting her Part 107 Certification, she quickly established herself as a leading aerial videographer in the Tampa Bay area, eventually landing high profile jobs and becoming the first woman to fly for the National Hockey League. She credits her success to hard work, refining her skills and nurturing strong relationships that have garnered her high profile jobs, referrals and repeat business.

In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Nicole talks about her path from artist/photographer to droneographer. She talks about how building strong relationships has landed her some great opportunities and what she’s done to build a successful commercial drone based business.

What is DJI Doing to Make It Safer To Fly Drones?

For that question, we turn to Adam Lisberg, Corporate Communication Director, North America, for DJI.  DJI is the world’s largest maker of personal and professional drones. Adam came to the drone world following a successful career in newspapers, from covering murders and fires in Chicago and New York to writing a Sunday column in the New York Daily News as the City Hall bureau chief. He was later head spokesman for the MTA, New York’s transit agency, steering its public communications through train derailments, Hurricane Sandy and other crises. Adam now leads DJI’s messaging on critical policy and regulatory issues affecting how drones are used in America. In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Adam talks about a recent blue ribbon task force report on UAS Mitigation at Airports, the lack of verifiable data on drone incursions and the efforts by DJI to create safer drones and safer skies.

Can the Genius NY Accelerator Help Launch Your UAS Startup?

Jonathan Parry is Director of GENIUS NY at The Tech Garden in downtown Syracuse, NY.  The Tech Garden is home to Upstate New York's most promising technology startups.  Genius NY is an accelerator program focused on unmanned systems. It will award up to $3 million in grand prizes during its 12-month in-residence business competition. The program will focus on early stage technologies in the category of unmanned systems including hardware, software, and analytics. Jon has more than 12 years experience with start-ups and business development in the UAS industry.

In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Jon talks about the Genius NY program and how it’s advancing the creation of innovative UAS companies.  Joining Jon is Ryan Pleskach, Founder and COO of Resilienx one of the companies in the current Genius NY program. Ryan shares what its been like going through the accelerator experience and how it’s helped evolve the company.

What is the fastest growing High School STEM Education Initiative Today?

If you said, Drone Racing Clubs, you’d be spot on.  Just do a web search and you find dozens of articles and videos of high school drone racing clubs springing up all over the country.  Drone racing is a great way to engage students in an exciting new sport, and as they build, code and race drones, they’re learning about physics, electronics, aerodynamics, computer programming and a host of other STEM-related topics.

Ron Poynter, President of OnPoynt Drone Solutions, the nation’s leading supplier of Drone Education Kits and training for STEM Education. In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Ron talks about the rise of high school drone racing clubs, the STEM education value and what the popularity of drone racing clubs mean for the overall drone industry.

Guy Nelson, Operations Director for redUAS, a consulting firm that focuses on technology-agnostic solutions and training to mitigate UAS threats. The company is made up of combat-proven drone professionals with real-world counter-UAS experience who can help customers gain a true understanding of the threat.

Guy served 11 years as a Marine Corps officer and naval aviator. He deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Inherent Resolve as a Harrier pilot and strategic planner for air power and counter-UAS operations. He is also co-founder of Attollo, LLC a veteran-owned start up that provides unmanned aircraft and associated technology training and consulting services.   A frequent speaker on counter-UAS, Guy will be on a panel on that topic at this year’s Drone Focus 2019 conference in Fargo, North Dakota on May 29. 

In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Guy shares how public safety organizations can identify and reduce risks of UAS threats to their assets and special events. He also gives us a glimpse into his Drone Focus panel presentation.

Can drones fulfill a critical transportation need in isolated areas of Africa?

Today’s guest believes they can. Edward Anderson is a Senior Innovation Policy Specialist at the World Bank’s Global ICT unit. Since 2014 he has been based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where he represents the World Bank on Technology and Innovation. As part of this role he leads work supporting the governments’ Open Data Initiative and is responsible for designing government modernization projects in UAV mapping, citizen data, microwork and smart sensors.

According to World Bank estimates, Africa needs to spend $38 billion more each year on transport infrastructure, plus a further $37 billion on operations and maintenance to sustain its current levels of development. A significant financing deficit lies between Africa's reality and the mobility that it both needs and aspires to. Only 34% of Africa's population is within 2 kilometres of an all-weather road.

To address this critical need, the World Bank is sponsoring the Lake Victoria Challenge (LVC), an ambitious project that aims to explore drones as a new mobility model for the hard-to-reach, rural communities of the Lake Victoria region of Tanzania.

In this episode of the Drone Radio show, Edward talks about the Lake Victoria Challenge and what it means to the future of Africa.

Is it possible to create a successful drone repair business today?

For that question, we go to Duluth, Georgia to hear from Rob Schwartz, owner of Thunderdrones a drone repair business. Rob began flying RC airplanes in the early 80’s and expanded into scale RC airplanes, helicopters, cars, trucks and  boats, and in 2016, he added drones. He remains active with RC cars and trucks, but his passion is now drones. So much so, that he started buying, selling and repairing drones. Since 2016, he has repaired more than 3,000 drones and is a frequent contributor and mentor on the Mavic Pilots forum when he helps pilots trouble shoot problems.  Rob flies at least 4 times a week, and also test flies customers aircraft,  He’s also a licensed private pilot with instrument training and complex rating. In this edition of the drone radio show, Rob talks about the common repair issues with DJI drones, provides some tips on how to maximize your enjoyment and how he created a successful drone repair business.

How can we become a better steward of the drone industry?

For that question we turn to Ken Christensen, Co-Founder of Foresight AI as well as Vice-President of Flight Operations. Foresight AI is a Robotic AI company using sUAS to provide accurate HD 3D Point Clouds for autonomous robots. Ken has over 30 years of experience in the aviation field both in the government and private sector. Ken has served in the Air Force, NASA, California Air National Guard and the Department of Homeland Security and has extensive aviation and aerospace experience.  He is a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for UAS Drone Detection/Counter Drone technology, space based solutions and aviation airborne sensor solutions. He served in Air Force Special Operations and Air Combat Command and is a veteran of three wars, completing 117 combat and combat support missions. In addition, he remains an active commercial pilot as well as a commercial sUAS Pilots. In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Ken talks about how drone operators can be effective stewards and Ambassadors of the Drone industry. He’ll share his 10 ways to become better steward and grow the industry.

What can be learned from serving the military UAV sector?

For that question we turn to Luke Layman, CEO of Vector Aerial, a leading provider of unmanned aerial systems and services offering custom, innovative and cost-effective solutions. Luke is a former United States Air Force fighter pilot with more than 15 years of aerospace experience in critical leadership, training and high technology roles. He founded Vector Solutions in 2014 and subsequently Vector Aerial to provide premier drone solutions.  He holds several flight certifications, including Airline Transport Pilot, Flight Instructor Instruments and Part 107. Luke is highly regarded as an aviation and defense expert and leads the Vector team in providing creative solutions to complex problem sets. In this episode, Luke talks about Vector Aerial, its work with at the 2019 Super Bowl for CNN and the benefits of serving both the military and commercial UAS markets.

Can An Open Source Autonomous Flying System Speed Up the Development of Flying Cars?

That’s the hope of a group of software engineers in China. Nina Rong is the community manager for the Generalized Autonomous Aviation System, or GAAS for short. GAAS is an open source project and community, dedicated to an autonomous aviation system for drones and flying cars. It offers developers and drone companies a software development platform for autonomous flight, collision avoidance, route planning and more. The ultimate goal of the project is to provide a safe and intelligent autonomous aviation system to expedite the coming of flying cars. In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Nina talks about the GAAS open source system, how users can access it and its role in promoting the development of flying cars.

How is the European Drone Industry evolving?

For that question we turn to Christoph Raab, Executive Director of the Drone Alliance Europe.  The Drone Alliance Europe is a coalition of leading technology companies representing the commercial drone industry before European political leaders, regulators, and industry stakeholders, as well as international regulatory and advisory bodies. In addition to his role as Chairman, Christoph also founded the European Security Round Table in 2006. He is a regular speaker and chairman at defense and cyber security conferences. He is also a member of the Advisory Board for the UAVExpo Europe, which will be held in Amsterdam on April 8 – 10.

In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Christoph talks about the Drone Alliance Europe, some of the key issues and opportunities facing the European drone industry and the UAV Expo Europe.  Christoph will also talk about a UAV Expo Europe panel that he will be participating on Smart Cities and Urban Mobility.

Are you trying to find your niche in drone industry?

Robert Dahlstrom is CEO and founder of Apellix, an aerial robotics company that produces tethered drones that fly in very close proximity to structures, to paint, clean and measure (among other things). The precision controlled drones are able to autonomously complete maintenance and measurement tasks, significantly reducing costs and keeping people out of harm's way. In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Robert talks about Apellix and its revolutionary drones, how the company found its niche in the industrial sector of the drone industry and he shares some lessons that other entrepreneurs might want to consider as they create a drone based business.

Where can you go to get the state of the art tactical training in the use of drones?

If you ask today’s guest, he would point you to the Unmanned Tactical Applications Conference on March 25-28 in Perry, Georgia.  Ryan English is CEO and co-founder of FLYMOTION, an industry leader in providing innovative unmanned system solutions. FLYMOTION works with government and private industry in a variety of areas, but in recent years, the company has emerged as a leader in the Defense, Public Safety and Emergency Response sectors. On March 25-28, Fly Motion will host the first Unmanned Tactical Applications Conference, where public safety officials will gather to engage in a hands on training in the use of drones in tactical situations. In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Ryan talks about the UTAC Conference and how public safety organizations can benefit from attending.