Weekly Updates from AUVSI XPONENTIAL: Exciting Announcements, Product Debuts, and XCELLENECE Honorees
The 2021 AUVSI XPONENTIAL conference, held this year, celebrated the achievements of the drone industry with the presentation of the XCELLENCE Awards. The winners were recognised for their contributions in innovation, operations, technology, and mission, with a focus on UAV work for good, public safety, and humanitarian efforts.
In the Enterprise Solutions Deployment and Service Provider category, several companies were honoured for their outstanding work. PABLO AIR Co., Ltd won 2nd place for its PAMNet (Pablo Air Mobility Network), while Volansi took 3rd place for its Critical Cold-chain Medical Logistics Drone Delivery in North Carolina. UVL Robotics, Inc. also won 1st place for its Inventory Drones.
The XCELLENCE in Innovation category saw fierce competition, with Skydio taking 1st place for its Skydio 3D Scan. Robotic Research claimed 3rd place for its Pegasus Mini, and American Robotics won 2nd place for its American Robotics Scout System: First FAA Approval for Automated Remote Operation.
Another notable winner in the Innovation category was AlarisPro, recognised for its integrated fleet management data platform. This platform creates Digital Twins of aircraft, improving safety, maintenance, and operational efficiency by tracking reliability metrics at the component level. This innovation supports proactive management of flight operations and continued airworthiness, with applications across military, academic, government, utility, and geospatial sectors.
In the Enabling Components & Peripherals category, Sagetech Avionics won 1st place for its MX12B Micro IFF Transponder. RedTail LiDAR System also introduced the RTL-450 LiDAR sensor, a lightweight LiDAR system that has been integrated onto several small drones.
The Humanitarian Project or Program category saw several deserving winners. Nepal Flying Labs won for its Drones Optimized Therapy Systems, while the UMD UAS Test Site won for its Human Organ Transplant Delivery UAS program. WildTrack also won for its Footprint Identification Technique (FIT).
The Public Safety category recognised several initiatives that are making a real difference. DRONERESPONDERS won for its DRONERESPONDERS Public Safety Alliance, and Verity won for its Failsafe by Verity. The Chula Vista Police Department also won for its Drone as a First Responder (DFR) Program.
Other notable mentions include Flyability, which conducted a demo of its Elios 2 indoor drone for confined space inspections, and Copterpix Pro, which announced an Autonomous Patrolling System that can patrol perimeters of up to 3 miles in total distance.
Lastly, Northwest UAV and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory partnered to create a hydrogen fuel cell prototype designed for unmanned systems, with tests currently underway. Flirtey's Multiple Drone Delivery System flight capability from Kongsberg Geospatial Iris also made headlines, allowing one drone pilot to fly several of Flirtey’s Eagle drones at the same time Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) for deliveries.
The AUVSI XCELLENCE Awards serve as a testament to the innovative and impactful work being done in the drone industry. These winners are paving the way for a safer, more efficient, and more effective use of UAVs in various sectors, from public safety to humanitarian work.
- The PAMNet from PABLO AIR Co., Ltd was recognized for second place in the Enterprise Solutions Deployment and Service Provider category, demonstrating innovations in UAV work.
- American Robotics' Scout System received the second place in the XCELLENCE in Innovation category, marking a significant achievement for its first FAA approval for automated remote operation.
- AlarisPro's integrated fleet management data platform won recognition in the Innovation category, promising improved safety, maintenance, and operational efficiency through Digital Twins of aircraft.
- The MX12B Micro IFF Transponder from Sagetech Avionics secured the first place in the Enabling Components & Peripherals category, showcasing advancements in UAV technology.
- Nepal Flying Labs won the Humanitarian Project or Program category with Drones Optimized Therapy Systems, highlighting the potential of UAVs for good in humanitarian efforts.
