Is there a better way to control a drone

Today's guest thinks there is, and he’s here to talk about it. Dr. Scott Parazynski is a highly decorated physician and astronaut recently inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. Scott has lived and traveled all over the world spending many of his grade school years in places like Senegal, Lebanon, Iran and Greece. A graduate of Stanford University and Medical School, he went on to train at Harvard and in Denver in emergency medicine. In 1992 he was selected to join NASA’s Astronaut Corps and eventually flew 5 space shuttle missions and conducted 7 spacewalks. In October 2007, Scott led the space walking team on STS 120, during which he performed four EVAs. In addition to being a diver and an accomplished mountaineer, Scott is also a commercial instrument multi-engine and seaplane rated pilot. On May 20th, 2009 he became the 1st, and so far only, astronaut to climb to the top of Mount Everest.

He is a prolific product developer and serves on the boards of several companies. He recently launched Fluidity Technologies, a technology innovation company focused on redefining movement through 3 dimensional space. Its mission is to simplify and improve motion in an increasingly complex world. In the fall of 2018, Fluidity Technologies launched the FT Aviator, its first single-handed flight control device for drones, designed to dramatically increase the precision of drone flight while tremendously simplifying it. In this edition of the Drone Radio Showm, Scott talks about the fluidity of FT Aviator, the challenges of starting a new drone company and how seeing the world from space and Mt Everest compares with creating a new product

Is the Drone Industry Meeting Your Expectations?

That’s the question that I posed to Doug La Farge, CEO of DT Aerial Systems in Boulder, Colorado.  My interview with Doug is part of a series of interviews with independent drone operators to get their perspective on the rewards and challenges of starting a business today. In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Doug talks about what’s worked and what hasn’t so far in building his drone based business.

What can we look forward to in Drone Racing in 2019?

For that question, we turn to Nicholas Horbaczewski, CEO & Founder of The Drone Racing League, the premier global, professional drone racing circuit for elite pilots. With custom built racing drones traveling more than 90 MPH+, pilots race FPV (First Person View) through the most insane 3D courses ever created outside of a video game. The Drone Racing League is about three year old and when it started, many questioned the long-term viability of drone racing as a legitimate sport. In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Nick talks about the league’s ascent from fad to a worldwide sport. We also learn about the 2019 Swatch DRL Tryouts to be held in Las Vegas on February 9 and the upcoming AlphaPilot challenge, which aims to accelerate the development and testing of fully autonomous drone technologies.

What can you expect as a new independent drone service provider?

For that question, we look to the Dallas/Fort Worth area and to Don Casey, CEO of Texas Aerial Systems. Don has been flying drones for several years, and about six months ago, he launched his drone based business. My interview with Don is part of a series of interviews with independent drone operators to get their perspective on the rewards and challenges of starting a business today. In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Don talks about the importance of having good mentors, of competing with larger more established drone companies and marketplaces and the challenges and rewards of developing his business.

Are drones coming to your library?

To help us answer that question, we turn to Ida Joiner, an author librarian, and doctoral student. Ida currently serves as the Senior Librarian at the Universal Academy school in Irving, Texas. Her first book, “Emerging Library Technologies: It’s Not Just for Geeks” focuses on Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Drones, Driverless Vehicles and many other innovations. Ida has published several articles on drones and how obtain stakeholder buy-in for implementing technologies. In addition to her writing, Ida is an active member of the American Library Association, the Library & Information Technology Association Division and the International Relations Roundtable. In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Ida talks about how drones are being integrated into libraries across the nation and the future of drones in the library system.

Is the drone industry meeting your expectations?

The first in a four-part podcast series that explores the question of whether drone operators are meeting their expectations in the drone industry. The results are what we might expect – some are meeting their expectations and some aren’t. But the real value is hearing the challenges and opportunities that each operator is experiencing and how you can learn from their situation. Today’s guest is Micah Zimmerman, Owner of Amdak, a drone services company in Fargo, North Dakato. Micah shares how he’s building his business and overcoming challenges to reach his goals.

How are thermal cameras used in the drone industry?

For that question, we turn to Randall Warnas of FLIR Systems. Flir designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and distributes thermal imaging technologies that

protect and save lives, promote efficiency and innovate consumer-facing technologies. At Flir, Randall runs the company’s sUAS global business, and has a singularly unique perspective of the drone industry. From pioneering drone retail in 2014, he went on to develop the initial stages and foundation of DJI’s Enterprise business. Now working for FLIR, he has engaged with tens of thousands of end-users in both the consumer and commercial space. In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Randall introduces us to Flir Systems, their thermal drone technology and discusses some of use cases for thermal imaging.

What do investors look for in a drone based business?

For that question we turn to Marco Rubin, 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.

When we look back at the drone industry in 2018, what will we say?

Well actually, to answer that question, all we have to do, is listen back to what my many had to say.  2018 was a year of innovation, progress, change, optimism and challenge – as the industry continued to mature and evolve. In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, I compiled short snippets from nearly 50 of my guests on their thoughts on the drone industry, on creating value and on building a drone based business. So as the year comes to a close, let’s sit back and hear from some of the leaders of drone industry.

How are consumer and professional drones evolving?

For that question, we turn to Jean-Thomas Celette, Chief Strategy & Product Officer for Parrot Business Solutions.  Parrot is the leading European drone group that offers business  solutions spanning drones, software, sensors and services. The company mainly focuses on 3 major verticals:  Agriculture; 3D mapping, surveying and  inspection; and Public Safety. In 2018, the company introduced several new consumer and professional drones. These drones are smaller, lighter and are designed to specific end-users in mind. In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Jean-Thomas talks about Parrot’s new drones, how they have evolved to support different use cases and what that tells us about where the market is heading.

What’s the outlook for drones in crisis response situations?

For that question, we turn to Emily Hough, Editor in Chief of Crisis Response Journal. Emily launched the Crisis Response Journal 15 years ago and it has become a global information resource that covers all aspects of human-induced natural disasters, spanning response, disaster risk reduction, resilience, business continuity and security. She works both in print and online, specializing in international publishing, events and conferences, mainly in the fields of disaster and crisis management.

Emily has founded and organized conferences and seminars in the resilience and response field, identifying global trends and anticipating future hazard scenarios. She has chaired, spoken at, moderated, acted as rapporteur and helped to curate numerous international events. She also is Media Partner with the All Party Parliamentary Group on Explosive Threats, House of Lords, London, UK; and sits on the International Disaster Response Expo Advisory Panel. Emily is also a Director with the consulting firm Crisis Management Ltd.

Before launching CRJ, she worked in publishing and conferences within the Fire and Rescue sector, reporting on fire service and humanitarian activities from around the world, including military operations in Bosnia and Kosovo, work in the settlements and squatter camps in South Africa, firefighter training in Peru and Argentina, and numerous other countries.

In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Emily talks about how the use of drones have grown in the crisis response field.

What are the three trends that define the future the drone industry?

For that question, we turn to Michael Chasen, technology entrepreneur and CEO of PrecisionHawk - the leading company in the commercial drone space. PrecisionHawk provides the hardware, software and services to companies that want to deploy drone technology to create actionable business intelligence. 
 
Prior to PrecisionHawk, Michael co-founded Blackboard and led the company as CEO for 15 years and successfully sold it to Providence Equity Partners for $1.7 billion in 2011. He then started and was CEO of SocialRadar, a company focused on the mobile location services space which he sold to Verizon in 2016. Michael is also an investor and advisor to several start-up ventures and mature companies across the technology spectrum.

In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Michael talks about PrecisionHawk and its evolution to become a leader in the drone industry, recent company acquisitions and trends that he believes will be driving the drone industry in the coming years.

Where can young start-up companies go to find capital and clients to grow their business?

If you ask today’s guest, he would say Dream It.  Bob Stasio is the Managing Director of Dreamit’s SecureTech. Dreamit Ventures is a fund focused on startups with early traction that are ready to scale. In the last 10 years, Dreamit Ventures has invested in nearly 300 startups now worth over $3B. The fund invests in HealthTech, UrbanTech and smart city technology. In 2018, Dreamit launched SecureTech targeting logical, social and physical security startups.  Before joining Dreamit, Bob held multiple roles at IBM Security, leading efforts in Cyber Operations and Threat Hunting. Prior to IBM, Bob worked in the private sector, leading threat intelligence programs at Bloomberg and global financial firms. He also has deep government experience having held positions at NSA’s Cyber Center, U.S. Cyber Command, U.S. Army’s Signals Intelligence Corps, the FAA, and NASA.

Bob served as a U.S. Army officer and is a recipient of numerous military awards, including the Bronze Star and Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. He serves on several advisory boards of multiple startups, holds various technical certifications and is highly regarded in the cybersecurity industry.

In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Bob talks about Dreamit’s SecureTech, it’s unique program to securing funding and clients and how drone start-ups can become part of the next cohort.

What can we learn about drones from experts in the energy field?

For that question, we turn to Kevin O’Donovan, a freelance Technology expert who has been evangelizing how new technologies can transform the way we do things through-out his career. He has held senior Technical Sales & Sales Management roles at Compaq, HP and most recently at Intel where he was Worldwide Sales Director for the Energy Industry.

He recently authored the Energy Industry Executive Roundtable Report for the Commercial UAV News. 

As part of Commercial UAV Expo Europe, executives ftom European Energy companies gathered for a roundtable discussion to discuss challenges of using UAVs and to share their experiences with their utility industry colleagues.

In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Kevin talks about the roundtable, some of the key findings of the report and he shared some perspectives on the drone industry. 

How does the petroleum industry use drones?

For that question, we turn to Suzanne Lemieux, Manager within the Midstream and Industry Operations unit of the American Petroleum Institute. Suzanne works with API staff and association members to advance policies and practices that enhance the security of oil and natural gas operations and personnel.  Her primary areas of responsibility are emergency preparedness and response; security, rail, natural gas and maritime policy: energy infrastructure advocacy and stakeholder engagement. She is also API’s UAS Lead and works with more than 625 members and external stakeholders in formulating UAS policy. In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Suzanne talks about the American Petroleum Institute, the organization’s top UAS priorities and need for safety first in deploying new technologies, like UAS systems.

Why isn’t the FAA moving faster on regulations that will advance the drone industry?

If you asked today’s guest, he might say that we need to look in an entirely different direction.  Chris Korody is the founder of the Drone Business.center and   provides strategy, research and content for the UAV, IoT and robotics industries. He has more than 45 years of marketing experience and has worked with some of the largest companies in the technology field, including Apple, BMW, Boeing, Cisco, Intel, Rockwell, Xerox and many others. Chris produces the weekly newsletter, Dronin’ On, which focuses on the global regulatory environment and is widely followed by senior managers in law firms, regulatory agencies and businesses around the world. In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Chris talks about some of the current UAS legislative initiatives that will affect the drone industry, the respective roles of the FAA and Congress in passing bills and regulations and how operators can prepare themselves for what may occur in the next few years.

How are drones used in Archaeology? 

For that question, we turn to Stefano Campana, one of Italy's most active and inventive professors, specializing in landscape archaeology, remote sensing and archaeological methodology for research, recording and conservation. His research is focused on the understanding of past landscapes from protohistory to the present day. Stefano's work is centered primarily in Tuscany but he has also participated in and led research in the UK, Spain, Turkey, Palestine, Iraq and Asia.  He has written extensively on UAV use in archaeology with a particular focus on practical considerations, sensors and data processing. His writings stress the benefits of UAV systems, specifically their cost, accuracy and control of data capture. In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Stefano talks about how drones are used in the field of archaeology, their strengths and limitations and what archaeologists should consider when planning to use drones in their research.

How can we make our skies safe from possible drone incursions?

If you ask today’s guest, he would say it all starts with Congress.  Rob Thompson is the co-founder of the Counter UAS Coalition, an organization that advocates for public affairs and public policy for counter drone technology in Washington, D.C.. The coalition was formed to help industry stakeholders engage government in proactively forming sound public policy and bringing to the forefront the best in class counter UAS solutions. In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Rob talks about the Counter UAS Coalition, why it was formed and how the organization works with manufacturers and Congress to changes laws to promote the use of effective counter drone measures.

Is there a way to spark interest in drones to girls at an early age?

Today’s guests believe they’ve found a way, and in doing so, they feel it might open future opportunities for women in the drone industry.  Sharon Rossmark is founder and CEO of Women and Drones, the largest online platform for women in the UAS Industry. The platform enables women to connect, collaborate and make global business connections to grow their network. Wendy Erikson is an emmy award winning journalist and host of the popular Women and Drones podcast. Both are FAA certified Remote Pilots.

Recently, Women and Drone’s published two children’s books on drones. In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Sharon and Wendy talk about Women and Drones, STEM Education and how their two books are encouraging young girls to look as drones for fun and perhaps later in life, pursue a career in the drone industry.

Are there questions that we should be asking?

If you ask today’s guest, he would say, “Hundreds”.  Patrick Egan is the editor of the American Desk at sUAS News and host and Executive Producer of the sUAS News Podcast Series, Drone TV and the Small Unmanned Systems Business Exposition. Patrick experience in the field spans military and civilian UAS applications, he was the director of special programs for the Remote Control Aerial Photography Association and he is considered a subject matter expert on the UAS industry.

This is Part 2 of a 2-Part Interview with Patrick.  In these two episodes of the Drone Radio Show, Patrick raises some questions about the drone industry, transparency, federal expenditures, priorities, special interests and who’s really advocating for small commercial drone operators. 

Is there a simple way to reduce flight risks?

Today’s guests believe there is. Tomer Kashi, CEO and Ori Blumenthal, CTO are co-founders of Skywatch, a powerful data analytics platform that empowers drone operators and fleet managers to track their important safety metrics and reduce flight risks.  Their platform leverages the power of machine learning to mitigate risk, which can lead to lower insurance rates for drone operators. In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Tomer and Ori talk about the company, their new platform and app, and how machine learning can reduce the cost of insurance.

What is the Drone Integration Pilot Program and How Will It Advance the Use of Drones?

For that question, we go directly to the source.  Earl Lawrence is Director of the UAS Integration Office at the FAA.  Since 2015, he has led the FAA’s efforts to safely and effectively integrate UAS into the nation’s airspace. One of the programs that he oversees is the Drone Integration Pilot Program.  Announced in October, the pilot program is a White House initiative that partners the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with local, state and tribal governments and private sector interests to safely explore the further integration of drone operations. In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Earl talks about the objectives of the Drone Integration Pilot Program and the role that the 10 pilot communities will play in integrating drones into the national airspace.

How close are we to routine beyond visual line of sight flights?

For one company, it begins this year. Mark Nisbet is the North Dakota Principal Manager for Xcel Energy, a utility power company based in Minneapolis. The company provides power to millions of homes and businesses across eight Western and Midwestern states. In April of 2018, Xcel Energy was granted authorization to fly drones beyond visual line of sight.  It will be the first utility in the nation to routinely fly beyond the operator’s line of sight when it begins surveying transmission lines near Denver this year.

In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Mark talks about Xcel, its history of using drones and the plans for flying beyond visual line of sight. Joining Mark is Nick Flom, the Executive Director of the Northern Plains UAS Test Site and West Shover, UAS Sector Development Manager for the Grand Forks Region Economic Development Corporation. Together, they talk about the partnerships in North Dakota that have made this possible and how it serves as a benchmark for the Industry moving forward.

What can we expect at this year’s Drone Focus 2018 in Fargo North Dakota?

That’s one of the questions that we will explore in this edition of the Drone Radio Show. Anthony Molzahn is co-founder of Project Phoenix, a Fargo based software company developing the world’s first universal business web service and toolset that every developer will use.  At the 2017 Drone Focus conference in Fargo, Anthony announced the company was working on Aegis Flow, an aerial/drone pilot for-hire application. The function of Aegis Flow connects pilots to posted jobs from companies and individuals who will pay for images or videos of specific locations. The application will be revealed at this year’s Drone Focus event on May 3031. While preparing for the conference, Anthony was asked to be a member of the Host Committee and to lend his leadership in developing the content and speakers for the event. In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Anthony talks about Aegis Flow and what makes it different from other drone marketplaces. We’ll also talk about Drone Focus and how Anthony went from an attendee at last year’s event to becoming a member of the 2018 Drone Focus Host Committee.  

What might we see happening in the worldwide drone industry?

Fortunately, we don’t need a crystal ball, as today’s guest gives us some key insights. Jeremiah Karpowicz is the Execgives Editor for Commercial UAV News. He has created articles, videos, newsletters, ebooks and more for various communities as a contributor and editor. He is also the author of a number of industry specific reports that feature exclusive insights and information around how drones are being used in various markets. One of those reports is called the Commercial Drone Predictions for 2018, which makes 8 bold predictions for the North American and European drone markets. In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Jeremiah shares insights into those predictions and updates on the plans for 2018 Commercial UAV Expos in Europe and the United States.