FLYY’s Kate Klassen on the importance of drone training

FLYY’s Kate Klassen on the importance of drone training

May 26, 2023 | Drones, Education, Industry News

By Scott Simmie

 

Here’s a quick quiz for you: How many drones are registered with Transport Canada?

Take your best guess.

The answer? According to the latest Transport Canada RPAS Team Newsletter, the number is 86,131. That’s a lot of drones. Many of these – we’re confident the majority – are recreational/hobbyist machines. But the growing service provider sector is also a big contributor.

Quiz Number Two: How many Special Flight Operations Certificates were issued by Transport Canada in 2022? The answer here is 814, with the following breakdown:

  • Beyond Visual Line of Sight Operations: 62
  • Flying higher than 400 feet AGL: 48
  • Flying in or near Department of National Defence airspace: 56
  • Special Aviation or Advertised Events: 172
  • RPAS weighing over 25 kilograms: 41

The math-inclined might notice those numbers don’t add up to 814. The final category – with 435 SFOCs issued in 2022 – is for Foreign Operators.

“It’s pretty obvious, but there’s been an incredible growth in the use of drones across all sectors,” says Kate Klassen, a licensed traditional aircraft pilot and flight instructor. She’s also InDro’s Strategy and Implementation Specialist.

“And based on what I’ve seen – including my work with the Canada Drone Advisory Committee (CanaDAC), these numbers will continue to grow for many years to come.”

Below: A professional drone operation

 

LICENSED PILOTS

 

Along with the growth in registered drones, there’s been a commensurate growth in the number of licensed RPAS pilots in Canada. Transport Canada has issued 86,709 Basic Pilot Certificates, and 10,060 Advanced Pilot Certificates. Advanced RPAS Certificates allow a pilot to fly in controlled airspace, closer than 30 metres to bystanders, and nearer than 3 NM (5.6 km) to airports and 1 NM (1.9 km) to heliports.

And of that number? Roughly one in eight received their training from InDro’s Kate Klassen.

Klassen was a pioneer in the training world, developing an online course that was both educational and entertaining. She did that prior to joining InDro, and some 10,000 people took her online course. That’s a phenomenal number.

And she’s at it again, with a series of online courses at FLYY.

We’ll get into FLYY – and the importance of training – in a moment. But first, let us more fully introduce you to Klassen.

She’s a commercial pilot and a flight instructor for both airplanes and RPAS. She’s been involved with aviation for the past 16 years and holds a Management of Technology MBA from Simon Fraser University. Klassen serves as a Director with the Aerial Evolution Society of Canada (formerly Unmanned Systems Canada/Systèmes Télécommandé Canada) and was a Director for BC/YK with COPA (Canadian Owners and Pilots Association). She was also Co-Chair of Canada’s Drone Advisory Committee (CanaDAC), working closely with Transport Canada. She’s an expert in regulations and training.

Plus, she’s an amazing educator.

Below: A screen grab of Klassen from one of the FLYY instructional videos

Kate Klassen FLYY Instructor

WHY BOTHER WITH A COURSE?

 

That’s a good question. Especially when there are options like YouTube, where you can find plenty of videos of people in their basements offering what they say are the knowledge requirements to obtain your Basic or Advanced RPAS Certificate.

We put that question to Kate.

“YouTube can be a great resource, but the challenge is knowing the accuracy and validity of the information,” she says.

“You want to trust the training provider, know their credentials and that they have the experience and expertise to be the one providing the training. In addition to video modules, FLYY also provides downloadable resources, interactive lessons and the ability to download for offline viewing.”

 

MORE THAN THE BASICS

 

What differentiates FLYY from some of the other online offerings?

For starters, Kate has deep expertise as both a commercial and RPAS pilot, as well as being an instructor. So you can have confidence you’re getting the Transport Canada knowledge requirements that ensure you’ve getting the fundamentals you need.

But FLYY offers more than just the tools to earn your Basic or Advanced RPAS Certificate.  The website has a module (and templates) to help you create your own Standard Operating Procedures, including a comprehensive pre-flight checklist. Another popular offering is the Flight Review preparation package. That package, which includes typical questions an Advanced RPAS Certificate candidate would receive at their in-person Flight Review, is designed to help ensure you pass that final step your first time. (And, given that most in-person Flight Reviews cost $200-$300, you really do want to pass your first time around.

 FLYY also offers Flight Reviews, regardless of your location in the country. Plus, once you’re registered with the site and taking a course, you’ll have access to an internal social hub where you can ask questions, post photos, and interact with other students and graduates of the FLYY program.

“I’m always happy to answer questions from students – and we get some good ones,” says Klassen. “This is something else you won’t get if you rely on a free online course. The courses have been carefully designed to ensure student success, and that’s also something I’m personally very much invested in. In fact, I like being a phone-a-friend lifeline for operators. It keeps me on my toes and problem solving at the pace of the industry.”

 

SPECIALIZED SKILLS

 

Drones have come a long way in the past decade. Like, a *really* long way. Think about it: DJI released its first Phantom in 2013 – a machine that required a separate GoPro in order to capture images. Now you can purchase a sub-250 gram drone with amazing range, connectivity and video/still qualities for less than $1,000.

But – particularly for those planning to become service providers or seeking professional employment – the knowledge base required has become more demanding. Gone are the days when having 50 hours of recreational drone flights might open the door to a job. Increasingly, employers are looking for people with highly specialised skills. They want candidates with experience flying thermal missions, capable of creating a LiDAR 3D digital twin – and much more.

Below: An Aerometrix methane-sniffing drone. Increasingly complex drones and drone operations require highly skilled pilots

 

Aerometrix Methane Drone

MICRO-CREDENTIALS

 

The future of training, at least from Klassen’s perspective, will involve obtaining credentials for operations requiring specific skillsets. These would be short, focussed courses – online or in-person – that would provide pilots with the skills they’ll need to carry out more complex flights (and with more complex sensors). Upon successful completion, a pilot would receive a certification that will become recognized as the standard for that industry.

Geospatial Information Systems (GIS), photogrammetry, mapping, volumetric calculations, BVLOS flights are just a few examples where Klassen envisions Micro-Credential courses would be the most effective route to obtaining skills.

“These are definitely skills that are pre-requisites for many drone jobs and require specialized training,” says Klassen. “Upon successful completion, a pilot would receive a certification or badge that’s recognized by the industry.”

Klassen is currently planning Micro-Credential courses for FLYY.

“Micro-Credentials will one day be just as important in this field as obtaining your Advanced RPAS Certificate,” says Klassen. “And with the new facility that’s coming in Ottawa at Area X.O, we’ll have a location where training, testing and evaluation for highly complex operations can take place in a controlled environment.”

(FYI, we took a deeper dive into the case for Micro-Credentials here.)

 

ADVANCED TESTING

 

That new site, which we’ve written about here, is designed for both drones and ground robots. Drone pilots will face a demanding NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) course, built to the exacting specifications created by ASTM (the American Society for Testing and Materials). It will also feature a large enclosed, netted area where specialised drone training and testing can be carried out. Complex testing or failsafe evaluation – missions that might normally require a Special Flight Operations Certificate – can be safely carried out within that netted enclosure without the need for special permissions.

The facility, which will open in June, has been funded by Invest Ottawa as a strategic investment in Area X.O. The facility will be operated by InDro Robotics. It is the first of its kind in Canada.

“For the first time we’re seeing a ground and air robot (drone) training and testing space and I think we’ll see those technologies work more closely together in the future, too,” says Klassen. “As an educator, I’m excited for the course offerings we’ll be able to put together. So much thought has gone into the details and facilities in this space and I can’t wait to see how it’s received.”

Below: A look at the new facility during construction in late May.

 

INDRO’S TAKE

 

InDro Robotics was one of the first companies in Canada to offer specialized drone training – working with law enforcement and First Responders onsite and at Salt Spring Island. InDro takes training very seriously, which is why we partnered with Kate Klassen to create FLYY.

“We share Kate’s belief that demand for complex drone training and testing will only increase. We also agree that Micro-Credential courses and badges will be an important offering for those wishing to take their skills to the next level,” says InDro Robotics CEO Philip Reece.

“Between Kate’s excellent FLYY program and the forthcoming Area X.O facility, we’ll be creating and delivering cutting-edge training customized to meet growing industry demands.”

Want to get started with training now? Head on over to FLYY, then use the code “springisintheair” at checkout for 10 per cent off.

InDro attends Robotics Summit & Expo in Boston

InDro attends Robotics Summit & Expo in Boston

May 12, 2023 | Events, InDro News, Industry News, Robotics, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

There’s nothing like a little trip to Boston at this time of year. Especially when the annual Robotics Summit and Expo is on.

InDro dispatched Account Executive Luke Corbeth and Head of Strategic Innovations Stacey Connors to the show, along with a number of devices either manufactured or distributed by InDro Robotics.

And it was busy. So busy, that it produced a quote we never anticipated.

“I only had time for one pee break all day and didn’t stop talking,” laughs Corbeth.

Between demonstrating a dog-like robot and other devices, speaking with attendees and potential clients, Corbeth says the tempo was absolutely surreal – with a steady stream of people at the InDro booth wanting to learn more about the company and its solutions.

“Honestly our booth was too busy,” adds Connors. “We needed two of us there, manning it nonstop.”

But that’s a good problem to have.

There was a large number of startups in attendance, as well as engineering students, professors, and others from the world of robotics, robotic medicine/surgery and academia. In conversations, Corbeth says many were keen to learn of InDro’s expertise as an integrator.

“A lot of people told us they were having difficulty building their own hardware. They really tinker with hardware and struggle with integration. For someone trying to build an autonomous inspection solution, for example, it can be challenging to focus on what you actually want to do achieve if you’re spending so much time on the hardware.”

Below: Team InDro during a microsecond when the booth wasn’t swamped:

Stacey Luke Boston Robotic Summit

PLENTY OF GEAR

 

InDro took a number of products the company has developed or distributes to the show. The Unitree GO1 EDU, seen in the photo above, was a big hit. But there was plenty of interest in InDro products including our new indoor drone – which has capabilities not available with standard commercial drones.

“It’s a ROS-based drone,” explains Corbeth. “It has compute onboard, a depth camera, a 4K camera, and 5G connectivity for remote teleoperations. With a standard DJI drone you don’t have the same ability to develop autonomous and custom applications. But ours can be programmed in ROS (Robot Operating System), which enables different sorts of projects that off-the-shelf drones just can’t do.”

There were plenty of engineering students – many specialising in robotics and mechatronics – at the Expo. It’s a sign, if any were needed, indicative of the massive growth in the industry.

“The students really see that,” says Corbeth. “So they put their efforts into learning how to design and build and improve these types of robots and want to be part of that going forward.”

 

MASSROBOTICS

 

Massachusetts has a thriving robotics community, including more than 400 companies that build or utilise robotic solutions. And there was a big presence at the show from MassRobotics, a non-profit innovation hub, accelerator and incubator for robotics and connected devices startups. It offers support and expertise as entrepreneurs move from envisioning a solution through to eventual production and commercialisation. The organisation also frequently teams with industry partners to issue robotics challenges, where university teams try to fulfil specific challenges in order to win cash prizes.

“We help bridge the gap and connect our startups to potential customers and investors, offering facilities and platforms to showcase their technology,” says its website.  “MassRobotics’ mission is to help create and scale the next generation of successful robotics technology and connected devices companies by providing innovative entrepreneurs and startups with the workspace and resources they need to develop, prototype, test and commercialize their products and solutions.”

Because of that mission, there was real interest in InDro’s capabilities, says Corbeth:

“They showcased a number of student-led projects, so it was nice to see what the academic world is building. They also seemed intrigued at the idea of jump-starting their projects with InDro’s integration abilities.”

InDro also told MassRobotics staff about the forthcoming drone and robot advanced training, testing and evaluation site coming soon to Area X.O.

“They lit up when I talked about the testing site at Area X.O,” says Connors, who is hoping to arrange potential collaboration between MassRobotics, Area X.O and Invest Ottawa. “It’s all about opening doors.”

Below: An image from the MassRobotics website, showing some of the 400 companies manufacturing or utilizing robotics in Massachusetts.

 

MassRobotics Boston robot companies

CLIENT VISITS

 

For Luke Corbeth, who drove down with a car absolutely jammed with robots and a drone, the Robotics Summit & Expo was just part of a very busy week. He also visited clients at the University of Massachusetts, as well as Boston University’s College of Engineering – which has purchased a fleet of Limo R&D robots. (The department is apparently doing research involving using the robots in collaborative swarms.)

It was an opportunity he welcomed.

“In the post-Covid era, a lot of interactions are online so it’s nice to actually meet the clients face-to-face, hear about their problems and successes and use that feedback to better service them and improve our products.”

And a personal highlight for Luke? A booth visit from Aaron Prather, Director of the Robotics & Autonomous Systems Program at ASTM International. Prather is followed by nearly 40,000 people on LinkedIn, where he posts prolifically on developments in the field of robotics.

“I feel like I met the Michael Jackson of robotics,” says Corbeth.

Robotics Summit Luke Corbeth Aaron Prather

INDRO’S TAKE

 

We were pleased to make some connections – and likely some sales – at the Robotics Summit & Expo. We were also pleased to see the immense interest in what InDro does (something we covered at length in a post here).

“While conferences often bring sales, sometimes exposure and making new connections are just as valuable – or more,” says InDro Robotics CEO Philip Reece.

“We’ve developed many partnerships that began as simple conversations at events like these, and we look forward to building more.”

We generally give advance notice when we’re attending conferences via LinkedIn and Twitter. Give us a follow and stay up to date on InDro developments.

FAA releases airspace blueprint for Urban Air Mobility

FAA releases airspace blueprint for Urban Air Mobility

May 8, 2023 | Advanced Air Mobility, Industry News, Regulatory

By Scott Simmie

 

If you’re involved in the world of drones or traditional aviation, odds are you’ve heard of air taxis, cargo drones and the coming world of Advanced Air Mobility, or AAM.

But what does that mean? And how will it differ from our current skies?

To get started, it’s worth looking at a definition of AAM. We like this one from BAE Systems:

“Advanced Air Mobility is an air transport system concept that integrates new, transformational aircraft designs and flight technologies into existing and modified airspace operations. The objective of AAM is to move people and cargo between places more effectively, especially in currently underserved local, regional, urban, and rural environments.”

And these transformational aircraft designs? Well, they include air taxis and heavy-lift drones capable of efficiently moving people, goods and critical supplies from major urban centres to nearby regions. Many of these destinations – certainly initially – are likely to be close to major urban centres but not have traditional airports. Often, those underserved areas have never had enough traditional air traffic demand to support the required infrastructure. Plus, it doesn’t really make sense to fly a plane over a very short distance.

The coming generation of new aircraft, for the most part, will not require runways and will be more environmentally friendly than ground transport. Most of the aircraft under development are electric and capable of vertical takeoff and landing – often transitioning to more efficient fixed-wing flight for the journey. And that means minimal infrastructure will be required. Think helicopter landing pads.

Sustainable electric or hybrid-powered flight, along with the promise of autonomous missions that can efficiently ferry goods through the sky while reducing road congestion, are among the key benefits of AAM.

Below: Volkswagen is just one of many companies developing new types of aircraft for the coming world of Advanced Air Mobility. Some firms are actively testing.

Volkswagen V.MO

AAM and UAM

 

The drone and aviation world loves its acronyms. And one that goes hand-in-hand with AAM is UAM – Urban Air Mobility.

UAM refers to the use of Advanced Air Mobility technologies in a strictly urban setting. Picture a major city where you can hail an air taxi to a landing pad, also known as a vertiport, with a phone app. Or where goods are routinely shuttled by drone or other new aircraft across urban skies. That’s what Urban Air Mobility refers to. Think of it as a subset of AAM.

But while UAM offers unique efficiencies and a reduction in ground traffic, it also comes with greater risk than flying goods to regional areas. That’s because these aircraft will be flying over property and people for the entire duration of their missions.

They’ll also be flying at lower altitudes than traditional crewed aircraft, and – eventually – in greater numbers. So regulators are interested in helping to shape the coming UAM (and AAM) eras to ensure a safe system that seamlessly meshes these new aircraft with existing airspace.

 

FAA

 

In early May, the Federal Aviation Administration – the US regulator – released an updated blueprint of how it envisions AAM will unfold. The Concept of Operation (ConOps) document outlines what procedural changes might help ensure a slow, safe and smooth transition into the coming era.

“Transportation is constantly evolving,” it states. “Each step forward yields new opportunities that fundamentally change the relationship that humankind has with distance and travel. While it may not significantly reduce surface traffic volume, UAM will provide an alternative mode of transportation that should reduce traffic congestion during peak times.”

And the driving force behind all of this? Technology.

“Major aircraft innovations, mainly with the advancement of Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP) and development of Electric VTOLs (eVTOLs), may allow for these operations to be utilized more frequently and in more locations than are currently performed by conventional aircraft,” says the regulator.

We’ll dive a little deeper in a moment. But the FAA says – in addition to certifying aircraft and pilots – that the blueprint is a “key step” in efforts to move safely toward this next phase of aviation. The blueprint should be of interest to everyone in the industry – particularly those who have plans for moving people and cargo by this next generation of aircraft. The FAA describes the blueprint as a “frame of reference” for itself, NASA, and the industry.

Below: Might Vancouver’s skies one day include aircraft like the one pictured below? Odds are, yes.

 

THE BLUEPRINT

 

So how will the US get from here…to there?

What guidelines or steps are needed to ensure a safe transition from now to then? The key, says the FAA, is to adopt a “crawl-walk-run approach.” In other words, start slowly – very slowly – and integrate these new aircraft in a highly methodical way while building on incremental successes.

“The envisioned evolution for UAM operations includes includes an initial, low-tempo set of operations that leverage the current regulatory frameworks and rules (e.g., Visual Flight Rules [VFR], Instrument Flight Rules [IFR]) as a platform for increasing operational tempo, greater aircraft performance, and higher levels of autonomy,” says the FAA.

That “low-tempo” means you won’t be hailing an autonomous air taxi anytime soon. In fact, when it comes to moving people and goods, fully autonomous aircraft are in the last stage of the FAA’s Concept of Operations.

Here’s a look at the three main phases the FAA has identified, taken directly from the blueprint:

  • Initial UAM operations are conducted using new aircraft that have been certified to fly within the current regulatory and operational environment.
  • A higher frequency (i.e., tempo) of UAM operations in the future is supported through regulatory evolution and UAM Corridors that leverage collaborative technologies and techniques.
  • New operational rules and infrastructure facilitate highly automated cooperative flow management in defined Cooperative Areas (CAs), enabling remotely piloted and autonomous aircraft to safely operate at increased operational tempos.

Below: An EHang EH216 carries out a passenger-carrying, autonomous flight in Oita Prefecture, Japan. The company has already logged 30,000 safe flights and is in the certification process with the Civial Aviation Administration of China. Image via EHang. 

EHang 216

AIR TAXIS

 

The FAA document focuses on air taxis – eVTOLs capable of carrying either people or cargo. And, in line with its “crawl-walk-run” approach, envisions a phased integration of these vehicles into US airspace.

All aircraft would be need to be certified. And initially, the Pilot-in-Command would need to be onboard and manually flying the aircraft using Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and Instrument Flight Rules (IFR). Pilots would communicate with Air Traffic Services, which would be responsible for ensuring adequate separation with traditional aircraft.

The ConOps document also envisions corridors – three-dimensional freeways in the sky that would be set aside for air taxi traffic. These corridors would at first be one-way only, though that would likely change in future.

In the early phases, the FAA believes existing helipads or other current infrastructure would be adequate. But it encourages planners and municipalities to use the best available data and forecasts when determining where to build vertiports.

“State and local governments are being encouraged to actively plan for UAM infrastructure to ensure transportation equity, market choice, and accommodation of demand for their communities,” says the document.

“The vertiports and vertistops should be sited to ensure proper room for growth based on FAA evaluated forecasts and be properly linked to surface transportation (when possible), especially if the facility primarily supports cargo operations. Local governments should also have zoning protections in place to protect airspace in and around vertiports and vertistops.”

As demand – and technology – advance, the FAA foresees traffic management becoming more automated. Data-sharing and detect-and-avoid technology would likely enable the eventual rollout of fully autonomous flights. In that scenario, these machines would operate under what the FAA calls “Automated Flight Rules” – or AFRs.

It’s all part of an evolution that would see the gradual implementation of automation, with people playing less active roles over time. Initially, the FAA says, there would always be a Human-Within-the-Loop (HWTL) – meaning a pilot. That would evolve to a person having supervisory control of automation, known as a Human-on-the-Loop (HOTL).

In a fully mature system, people would simply be notified by automation if action is required. This is referred to as Human-Over-The-Loop (HOVTL), defined by the FAA as follows:

 

  • Human is informed, or engaged, by the automation (i.e., systems) to take action
  • Human passively monitors the systems and is informed by automation if, and what, action is required
  • Human is engaged by the automation either for exceptions that are not reconcilable or as part of rule set escalation

“UAM operations may evolve from a PIC onboard the UAM aircraft to RPICs/remote operators via the advent of additional aircraft automation technologies,” states the blueprint.

The following FAA graphic indicates the predicted evolution of the UAM operational environment:

FAA UAM evolution

SLOW AND STEADY

 

There’s much more to the FAA document, and we encourage those interested to explore it here. But the key point is a slow and measured integration of these new transformational aircraft with an emphasis on safety and human oversight within existing regulations. As technology and data-sharing improve, this will evolve to a more automated/autonomous system with humans involved only if they are flagged to intervene. New regulations will likely evolve as the technology continues to develop.

The FAA released a brief video in conjunction with its blueprint, which hits some of the highlights discussed in this post:

INDRO’S TAKE

 

Like many, we see the great potential in the coming Advanced Air Mobility/Urban Air Mobility era. Certified aircraft safely moving people and goods will be faster, more efficient and more sustainable than current ground travel. It could also be a boon to people living in communities currently not served by traditional aircraft.

“We see particular utility for remote and cut-off communities in need of critical goods,” says InDro CEO Philip Reece.

“We always use the crawl-walk-run model when deploying our own new technologies, and believe this incremental approach is the best way to ensure safety and public acceptance. We anticipate Canadian regulators, working with industry and the Canadian Advanced Air Mobility Consortium, will be taking a similar approach.”

The new FAA blueprint, though it’s a ConOps document and not carved in stone, does leave us feeling that plans are starting to take shape. We look forward to the slow, steady and successful integration of UAM/AAM in the US, Canada and elsewhere.

If you’d like to do some further reading on AAM – and what’s happening on the Canadian scene – you’ll find that here.

Public perception of drones mixed depending on use-cases

Public perception of drones mixed depending on use-cases

Apr 24, 2023 | Drones for good, Education, Industry News, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

What does the public think about drones?

That’s a very good question. And the answer has implications for the industry at large.

Is the public ready to embrace drones becoming a more ubiquitous part of everyday life? Are people ready for drones to be flying overhead in urban settings – whether they’re gathering data, delivering critical supplies, or simply dropping off a bagel and latte for the sake of convenience?

As the industry moves ahead to more routine Beyond Visual Line of Sight Flights utilising pre-programmed and autonomous technologies, the answer – or answers – could have a significant impact on the speed of adoption.

Do people want drones buzzing in their neighbourhoods? WING certainly had some pushback when it began trials of convenience deliveries in Australia. And what about concerns over privacy?

There are plenty of questions. And some intriguing answers.

Below: InDro delivers prescriptions to remote Gulf Island communities in a trial using drones for critical deliveries of medications

London Drugs drone

CANADIAN RESEARCH

 

Before we dive into the nuts and bolts, some context: We’ll be referring to two scientific papers just published by Canadian-led research teams based out or Carleton University in Ottawa. One of these papers reviews existing research and draws conclusions, while the other involves original data on public perceptions gathered in Canada. Though we’ll dip into both, we’ll focus primarily on the paper called “Public perception of remotely piloted aircraft systems in Canada” – which appears in the May 2023 issue of Technology In society.

That study was authored by Dr. Nick Tepylo, Leilah Debelle, and Jeremy Laliberté. Dr. Tepylo is both a pilot and an aircraft systems engineer who holds a PhD; Professor Jeremy Laliberté leads a 22-person Carleton research group that focusses on the advanced use of drones and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). Leilah Debelle is a research assistant (Co-op) in the Department of Psychology.

Together, this group carried out the first original research on this topic in Canada since 2014. Back then, there was considerable opposition to drones. As the paper’s abstract points out:

“The last major survey performed in Canada was done in 2014 and found the public was rather opposed to the use of drones and preferred traditionally piloted aircraft in all 38 applications polled. Much has changed over the past eight years as the findings presented herein show the public is supportive of the technology in most applications… Applications of drones that were perceived to further the public interest such as search and rescue, firefighting, and climate research were also viewed more positively. Most drone user groups were viewed favorably except for journalists and corporations.”

Below: A Draganfly drone designed for medical deliveries

 

Draganfly Seach Rescue Medical drone Ukraine

WHAT DO CANADIANS THINK?

 

Well, in large part, it depends on what use-cases are involved.

The respondents in the survey (there were 1,022), showed a clear preference for use-cases such as Search and Rescue, disaster response and scientific research. At the bottom of the list? Drone delivery.

We spoke with Jeremy Laliberté about the results; he agreed that people surveyed were more inclined to support what could be termed “positive” use-case scenarios.

“In general, the public is accepting of these technologies, but it varies strongly,” says Laliberté.

“If you look at the Canadian context, who is using the RPAS influences heavily the level of acceptance. So for example, public safety applications, Search and Rescue, things that are for the public good…have very high levels of acceptance. And we found in our literature review, that’s also the case in other countries.”

Intuitively, that makes sense. But what are the applications where the public is less likely to embrace drone use?

“Where the acceptance falls off, interestingly enough, is around delivery – delivery of just regular goods and services…packages, parcels, things like that. As well as journalism – using drones to monitor the public in any way or for news gathering – those get lower levels of acceptance,” he says.

You can see the varying levels of acceptance, pending use-cases, in the graphic below from the research paper. About 87 per cent of respondents strongly or somewhat support use-cases like Search and Rescue, firefighting and disaster response. Only 1.6 per cent of respondents oppose the use of drones in these scenarios.

“At the other end of the spectrum, package delivery had the lowest level of support with 44.9% in favor, 25.7% opposed, and 29.4% neither supporting nor opposing this mission type,” states the paper.

“Newsgathering and surveillance missions received just shy of 60 per cent support, while all other missions received at least 75% support. Additionally, only three missions (newsgathering, surveillance, and package delivery) received more than 10% opposition.”

 

Public perception drones research

CONCERNS OVER MISUSE

 

The research also asked about the potential misuse or drones. Three different scenarios were presented to respondents: The use of drones for smuggling, flights over public spaces and flights over residential properties.

“Participants were most concerned about the potential misuse of RPAS by smugglers with 34.1% expressing a high level of concern and an additional 44.2% indicating a moderate level of concern,” states the report.

Reported cases of smuggling usually involve criminals dropping contraband into prison facilities. So while there is concern about such activities, these use-cases are generally rare and don’t directly impact members of the public or legitimate drone service providers. Arguably more relevant to the industry is concerns about flights over public spaces and homes, with the latter something that could become routine if and when urban drone deliveries take place.

PRIVACY

 

Respondents were given the opportunity to get a little more specific about their concerns, with the option of entering their thoughts in a text box. Of the 1022 people surveyed, 611 (nearly 60 per cent) took the opportunity to offer additional information. And it’s clear: People are concerned about privacy.

“Responses relating to privacy concerns were the most common with 58.3% of responses highlighting some sort of privacy concern. Privacy was the most common word used, followed by variations of the words spy and surveillance,” states the report.

“Other words such as filming, video, pictures, etc. were entered and included under the privacy category. Government users were the most mentioned user of concern, followed by law enforcement, and hobbyists. Other issues raised related to the risk of collisions or drones falling out of the sky, hacking and cybersecurity, misuse by criminals, and the potential for weaponizing drones to target civilians.”

And there’s a lesson here, says Laliberté, for service providers. The public wants to know what these devices are doing when in public spaces or over residences, and what data is being collected.

“Things like package delivery…those are the ones (use-cases) where there will definitely need to be clear and transparent sharing of information: What are you doing? Who’s operating the aircraft? What kind of data is being collected? How’s the data being protected?” he says.

“I think the operators will have to be proactive about that sort of thing and really sort of get out there and explain their operations and be clear and transparent, and explain what they’re doing, how they’re doing it and how they’ve ensured that it’s safe.”

Laliberté suggests it could also be useful for drone operators in such use-cases to clearly mark their drones with company names and/or colors so that the devices can be identified from the ground. That way they’re not seen as an anonymous device with an unknown operator – which could contribute to concern/suspicion.

Below: First Responders operate a drone while trying to locate a missing person

Robot spacer

NOT JUST CANADA

 

It’s not just Canadians who have concerns about privacy. The paper cited three other research papers – two from the United States and one from Switzerland – that showed similar concerns.

“Similar to other democratic countries, the Canadians surveyed in this study expressed privacy concerns regarding the use of RPAS. Most of these concerns were related to surveillance by individuals, news organizations, or the government,” states the paper.

“The major concern with government users and law enforcement is surveillance, while with corporate entities, data collection for marketing is the largest concern, whereas with hobbyists, people are concerned about potential spying and recording of one’s actions. Future policy should be written to address each of these unique scenarios to improve the social acceptance of drones.”

The research also found there are differences in public acceptance based on perceived use of drones. If the drones can be obviously seen as a tool, their deployment is likely to be seen more favorably when compared with other forms of sensor-based data acquisition.

“The Dutch team of Bart Engberts and Edo Gillissen make the designation between the use of drones for sensory applications and their use as a tool,” explains Dr. Tepylo.

“Applications falling under the tool category such as using drones for firefighting or disaster monitoring typically have higher levels of support; however, the public is more weary when drones are used for sensory applications. These could include crime scene surveillance and even using drones to issue speeding tickets. People are used to a certain level of privacy and when drones are added to the mix, even without knowing how the drones are being used, they feel that their privacy is being taken from them.”

 

THE GOOD NEWS

 

It’s worth noting that the Carleton research indicates a shift in public opinion since the last major Canadian survey on the topic in 2014. People are more supportive of drones across all use-cases, with very strong support for First Responder use, disaster response and scientific research.

Also worth noting is that younger people and those with a background in RPAS tend to be more supportive than older Canadians and those who are less familiar with the technology. It also appears that words matter: The study used the word “drone” in half of its surveys and “Unmanned Aerial Vehicle” in the other half. Those surveyed were significantly more likely to support use-cases when the word “drone” was used rather than “Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.”

In fact, users were asked to identify their feelings on spotting a “drone” vs. an “Unmanned Aerial Vehicle” in the sky. People were more excited at the prospect of seeing something identified as a drone than an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. Women expressed less enthusiasm than men regardless of the word used, and far greater concern than men at seeing an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.

And why is that? The research revealed that more people are familiar with the term “drone” and could easily identify a quadcopter and associate it with the word. There was more confusion around “Unmanned Aerial Vehicle” – with respondents more likely to associate that term with a military device such as a Global Hawk.

AND THAT OTHER STUDY?

 

At the outset, we mentioned that there was a second paper which reviewed existing literature around public perceptions. Entitled “Public perception of advanced aviation technologies: A review and roadmap to acceptance,” the paper was published in April of 2023. In addition to Dr. Nick Tepylo and Professor Jeremy Laliberté (who authored the Canadian study), they were joined by Dr. Anna Straubinger from the Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research. In addition to drones, the review paper covers public perceptions of Urban Air Mobility and such technologies as air taxis (where Anna Straubinger has extensive expertise).

Because this is a long-ish post already, we’ll briefly hit some of the takeaways. The following highlights are taken directly from the review paper:

  • Interest in public perception of drones has been increasing since 2015
  • Awareness of drones is between 93 and 97% in North American and European countries
  • Support for drones increases with the level of awareness among the population
  • Support for air taxis has steadily increased and sits around 40–60%
  • Improving public perception is the key to widespread adoption of the technology

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

 

Interestingly, the data shows that public perception can be influenced by where you live. In Switzerland, for example, support for package deliveries was 18 per cent. In Singapore, meanwhile, support was in the low 80s. High rates of public acceptance, says Professor Laliberté, will likely lead to earlier adoption in those countries – including technology such as air taxis.

“Especially with Urban Air Mobility (UAM) some of the initial trials were being done and proposed in countries where definitely the level of acceptance is higher,” he says. And as for Singapore and package deliveries?

“Singapore is relatively small, high density, and fairly urban. So it actually makes sense to try these (use-cases) out in some of these areas.”

Even a single drone service provider, doing work that’s perceived as good, can influence overall acceptance rates – which ultimately impact speed of adoption.

“Despite the lack of research data, Africa is a very promising location for the adoption of drone technology due to the work of Zipline,” says Dr. Tepylo.

“The company operates two medical supply distribution centres in Rwanda which can provide coverage for most of the country. When they see a drone in the sky, many Rwandans think of the potential life-saving mission that vehicle is completing so reactions are very positive. If the Zipline model is able to be replicated in other parts of Africa and rural areas around the world, it has the potential to accelerate the adoption of drones globally.”

Below: Graphic showing public acceptance of various use-cases by country. Locations with higher rates of public acceptance could well adopt these technologies at scale sooner than those with lower acceptance rates

INDRO’S TAKE

 

We’re pleased to see these new papers – and particularly pleased to see researchers from Carleton University taking a lead in this field. These findings are tremendously useful to operators – and offer some useful takeaways when it comes to being transparent about operations due to the level of concerns around privacy. It’s also clear that public perceptions can play a role in influencing regulators when it comes to the pace of change.

At InDro, we’ve long emphasised what we would term ‘positive’ use-case scenarios. These include specialized products and training for First Responders, trials of prescription medication and COVID test supplies via drone – even the delivery of Automated External Defibrillators. It’s nice to see that these use-cases strongly align with high levels of public acceptance/support.

“It may well be inevitable that packages are delivered in urban settings down the road,” says InDro Robotics CEO Philip Reece. “But that’s still several years away. We see greater importance in delivering critical supplies like medications to cut-off and isolated communities and in developing specialised drones for First Responders and scientific data acquisition. We also believe these are the kinds of use-cases that – at least for the moment – are more likely to be viewed as both useful and safer when it comes to Transport Canada and BVLOS permissions.”

We recommend taking a deeper dive into this excellent research. You’ll find the paper on Canadian perceptions here, and the review paper on broader global data here.

Women leaders in Smart Mobility discuss the future

Women leaders in Smart Mobility discuss the future

Mar 31, 2023 | Industry News, Kate Klassen, Smart Mobility, Stacey Connors

By Scott Simmie

 

Some of the leading women in the Smart Mobility space got together to discuss progress, and even roadblocks, as the interconnected world of intelligent devices that will make up Smart Mobility moves ever closer.

The gathering was a live, virtual event entitled “Women Driving the Smart Mobility Revolution.” It was part of International Women’s Week and it brought together leading experts from Canada, the US and beyond. The event was hosted by Invest Ottawa, with sponsorship from Area X.O, BDC, MDK Business Law, Rogers and Women Automotive Technology.

Before we hop into some highlights of the discussion, it’s worth taking a look at what the term Smart Mobility means. Is it electric vehicles, capable of eventual autonomous operation? Is it drones, dispatched over 5G to deliver goods and services? Is it Uncrewed Ground Vehicles (UGVs, or ground robots) delivering food, pharmaceuticals and other supplies to homes and businesses? Ride sharing networks? Infrastructure that helps enable these technologies?

The answer is all of the above – and more. Smart Mobility, according to one succinct definition, “integrates all modes of transportation via wireless communications and applies real-time data analytics and machine learning to make transportation safer and more efficient.”

We think there would be widespread agreement that making transportation safer and more efficient is a worthwhile goal. And while there are some examples of Smart Mobility devices out in the world already, we’re heading toward an era of more widespread adoption.

But how long will that take? How will we get there? What will it look like?

All good questions. And there were some great answers from the three panels that took place during the event.

PROMISES, PROMISES

 The event kicked off with a ‘fireside chat’ with one of the top experts in the field: Selika Josiah Talbott.

Selika is the Founder and CEO of Autonomous Vehicle Consulting. She’s a lawyer who practiced for 18 years as a product liability defence attorney, representing OEMs in automotive cases. From there she was appointed Deputy Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, with 1800 employees and a $200M annual budget. She was first introduced to autonomous vehicles in 2010, and is an expert on regulatory and policy implications of EVs and Smart Mobility.

Like the rest of us, she’s heard the hype. Moderator and automotive journalist Petrina Gentile kicked things off with a basic question: Where are we now?

“That’s the $64,000 question,” said Selika. “The industry has been saying for the better part of 10-plus years that ‘It’s just around the corner.’ There’s now frustration – this thing you’ve been promising us isn’t here and it doesn’t appear to be around the corner.”

But that doesn’t mean we can’t at least see the beginnings of that corner.

“Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) are being much more widely used across the globe,” she said. “There are thirteen ports around the world – mostly in China, of course – that are using some sort of Autonomous Vehicle expertise to meet port needs.”

She also pointed out that AVs are also making inroads in industries such as mining and farming. Robot deliveries have started, and she anticipates great inroads here “as we start to deliver groceries and medicines to people who are not able to go and get it themselves.”

 

Below: Moderator Petrina Gentile listens during the ‘fireside chat’ with Selika Josiah Talbott

Selikah Josiah Talbott Smart Mobility

EQUITY

Selika clearly thinks about this field a lot. And she’s very passionate about the big picture beyond the nuts and bolts of the technology. Specifically, any successful Smart Mobility strategy must be equitable and accessible for all. Her mantra, she says, is “Transportation is mobility; mobility is freedom.

“Transportation is the real equaliser,” she emphasises. “If I don’t have an opportunity to get to school, to get that education, if I live someplace where transportation is limited, how do I access medical care? … Whether it’s your home, your food, education, your job – every single thing that we do requires some form of transportation. So my work is centered around the movement of people, goods, and most importantly information.”

She continued: “What happens if I’m differently abled? Or if in the community I’m in there’s a shortage of labour, or I can’t afford the maintenance, upkeep, care and purchase of my own private vehicle? … An autonomous vehicle can fit those needs.”

Accessible public transport, she says, must be part of any successful Smart Mobility strategy, and must be an integral part of a Smart City in the future.

 

AND AN ASIDE

Selika Josiah Talbott is an African American woman. Moderator Gentile asked her about her experience as a Person of Colour during her career – and if there had been any ways in which she had been treated differently as a professional.

“I don’t dwell on them,” said Selika. “But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t sting. I’ve represented OEMs, vehicle manufacturers, back in the 90s. When we had conferences and board meetings, I was not allowed to sit at the table. I had to sit at the back wall. I might have been representing you…but I was not at the table for what we have deemed as cultural reasons.

“We didn’t (push back). We accepted it, and we moved on. I made sure that I was the best that I could be in that space.”

Below: The next panel on the agenda

Women driving Smart Mobility Stacey Connors

PANEL ONE

After Selika’s presentation, it was on with the program. Specifically, a panel called “Driving the future of advanced technology in logistics.”

This was a broad-ranging discussion, starting with a question from the moderator: How do you see drone technology evolving over the next five years?

Stacey Connors, InDro’s Head of Strategic Innovations, offered some examples of where this company has been – and how those set the stage for the future.

“Some of the neat deployments may exemplify where the industry is going,” she said. “We participated in a pilot where we delivered defibrillators.” That trial took place in conjunction with Renfrew County Paramedics in Ontario. Rural locations were chosen to stage a cardiac incident, using a medical dummy. A mock 911 call was placed, and then an InDro drone carrying an automated external defibrillator was dispatched. At the same time, a paramedic crew raced to the location in an EMS vehicle.

The goal? To see which could deliver the product more quickly in a scenario where every minute that passes following a cardiac event diminishes the possibility of survival. The result?

“We were seven minutes faster,” said Connors. In fact, that was the average over multiple runs.

Connors went on to predict routine contactless delivery of medical supplies to hospitals, as well as the rise of connected inventories – where the supply chain is transformed by automation, AI and Big Data working in synergy.

“This concept of connected inventories will dramatically change supply chains and open a lot of opportunities,” said Connors. “InDro Robotics specifically is leaning into this and building out some solutions for inventory management, cycle counting. Because that inventory accuracy is absolutely critical if you want to open up a connected inventory or connected supply chain.

“The other interesting application definitely connected… is the capabilities of the private networks and 5G. I think a lot of people have not yet realised the full capabilities that these private networks will offer…it opens up so many opportunities for teleoperations.”

 

THE RISE OF AI

One of the other topics was the seemingly exponential advancement of Artificial Intelligence. Will AI advance logistics – or potentially create problems? The consensus appeared to be that AI will lead to better decision-making and efficiences. It was also suggested that we are currently merely at the dawn of where AI will take the world.

Vivian Sun is the Chief Commercial Officer at Waabi, a company specialising in autonomous trucking. She describes herself as “a big fan” of ChatGPT and uses it regularly. She believes AI (which is already part of the core of the Waabi Driver system) will lead to safer and more reliable Smart Mobility systems.

“This wave of AI technology has been reaching more users than before,” said Sun – adding that this is only the beginning.

“This is the iPhone moment of AI history,” she said.

Hearing Sun speak about Waabi sparked us to take a closer look at the company. It’s up to some very cool stuff. And, as you’ll see in this video, AI is integral to Waabi Driver:

DRONES, ROBOTS

When we think of a Smart Mobility world, there’s no question that robots, drones and other forms of Uncrewed Aerial Systems come to mind. Moving critical supplies – or even people – with automated, renewable systems will definitely be part of the not-so-distant future.

“Honestly, they (drones and robots) mean two specific things: Efficiency and convenience,” said Mohammed Abu-Shaaban, Chief Technical Officer and Co-Founder, Kirality Drones. The Ontario-based company specialises in making drone deliveries at golf courses.

“The implementation of robots and drones is a target to achieve ultimate efficiency in day-to-day operations and also to provide the element of convenience to lay people – to anyone that just needs it. Say a robotic lawn mower. You don’t want to mow the lawn? It takes that mundane task away. Or conducting deliveries…”

At the moment, drone operators in Canada can obtain one of two licenses from Transport Canada: Basic or Advanced. But as drones – and drone operations – become ever more complex, it was suggested training needs to keep pace to ensure pilots have the skills for highly specialised operations. InDro’s Kate Klassen, who has deep expertise in traditional aviation and is also InDro’s Chief Flight Instructor, suggests the time has come for specialised training and certification in the drone and robot fields.

“Aside from the drone pilot certifications that we have in Canada, there really aren’t any skill-set specific certifications that you can achieve,” said Klassen, InDro’s Strategy and Implementation specialist. “It’s worked up until this point but the industry’s maturing to a point where standards beyond that government pilot certification, or for roles beyond the pilot, are going to be desired and needed.”

Klassen went on to suggest the time has come for specialised training and credentials for the more complex tasks (and technology) currently seen in the industry.

“I’d love to see some industry-recognised certifications within those specific niches – so like inspection, whether that’s commercial or industrial, doing work at advertised events, working in really cold operations…even things that are not direct pilot roles, like support roles for BVLOS operations. Those micro-credentials, apprenticeships, allow people to demonstrate that they’re competent and have that competitive advantage when they’re trying for roles.”

 

AND THE FUTURE?

There was widespread consensus on the panel – as you might expect – that drones, robots and other Uncrewed Aerial Systems will continue to grow in sophistication and use-cases. The use of drones during the pandemic to move supplies (and the use of ground robots for contactless delivery) has opened to door to public acceptance.

“The pandemic really represented for us was just: How do people get stuff?” observed Bronwyn Morgan, Founder and CEO of complex drone service provider Xeo Air and Airversity Drone Pilot Academy.

“I think it demonstrated why drone delivery, specifically, will be a thing in the future,” she said.

But Smart Mobility isn’t just about drones and robots. New and larger uncrewed aircraft that will one day ferry heavy cargo and even people over urban centres and to nearby communities not currently or efficiently served by traditional aviation are in development and testing. Air taxis and Vertiports (urban airports for eVTOL aircraft) are considered by many to be integral to Smart Mobility and Smart Cities of the future.

But don’t expect this on the immediate horizon.

“It’s a lot further away than people think,” said Morgan. “These are new aircraft. They have to demonstrate flight hours, safety… All you need is one incident for the whole thing to be shut down.”

Morgan predicted that cargo drones will be on the scene by 2030, “and probably not until 2035 until we see air taxis, business models, vertiports… It will be some years.”

Below: During the pandemic, InDro carried out regular Beyond Visual Line of Sight flights for a First Nations community in BC’s Gulf Islands. Transporting COVID test supplies by drone meant a local healthcare worker could remain at the clinic with clients, rather than spending hours on the ferry hand-carrying these supplies. Operations like this are certain to become more commonplace in a world of Smart Mobility.

INDRO’S TAKE…

With a growing number of drone and ground robotics innovations and solutions, InDro is well-poised for the coming wave of Smart Mobility. A connected, sustainable future with greater efficiencies is in everyone’s interest.

We applaud Invest Ottawa for putting together this event during International Women’s Week, and were pleased to see two of our valued InDro employees as panelists.

“There are a growing number of women holding senior positions in the robotics and drone space, but there’s room – a lot of room – for more,” says InDro Robotics CEO Philip Reece. “As Smart Mobility continues to grow, we hope to see greater gender equity in the field – and will continue to support women across this space. There are a lot of challenges and opportunities ahead, and this industry needs the best people possible.”

If you’d like to watch the panels, you’ll find them here.

InDro attends cutting-edge PROMAT conference in Chicago

InDro attends cutting-edge PROMAT conference in Chicago

Mar 23, 2023 | Events, InDro News, InDro Solutions, Industry News

By Scott Simmie

 

When you work in the robotics and R&D field, conferences are part of the deal. Within the past year, we’ve attended many of the big ones, including AUVSI in Florida, the Aerial Evolution Association of Canada in Calgary, and the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CANSEC) in Ottawa (where we were also an exhibitor). We also took a jaunt down to T-Mobile in Washington State, where we were invited to demonstrate our remote teleoperations over 5G with our Sentinel inspection robot. There were plenty of others, too, but these were the ones we happened to write about.

Conferences like these allow InDro to display our own technology, speak with other companies about their own cutting-edge products, learn about the latest on the regulatory front – and much more. We have developed strong partnerships that began with simple trade floor discussions, and also learned more about the kinds of solutions sought by clients.

And now, we’re at it again – this time in Chicago. InDro sent two senior employees to PROMAT 2023, a massive event with more than 50,000 attendees.

“This conference is all things automation, digital transformation, and robotics for supply chain and warehousing,” says Stacey Connors, Head of Strategic Innovation.

And it’s big. More than 1,000 of the world’s leading manufacturing and supply chain solution providers are displaying their solutions. (If you really want to geek out, check out the floor plan here.)

Promat Chicago

THE BIG PICTURE

InDro – in conjunction with its work in aerial and ground robotics – has also been developing automated solutions to warehousing and logistics. The overall supply chain market is huge, with PROMAT estimating the 50,000 attendees have some $65 billion in global purchasing power. So it was a natural fit for InDro Vice President Peter King and Stacey Connors to attend.

The solutions on offer are almost endless – everything from autonomous forklifts to pick-and-place robots, inventory management, even systems for moving along pressed clothes at a dry cleaner. Everywhere you turn, there are software and hardware supply chain solutions, including devices that can store, retrieve, stack, pack, wrap, load, unload, track, move – and much more.

For Connors, as Head of Strategic Innovations, seeing all of these solutions under one roof – and meeting with innovators and potential clients – was a tremendous opportunity.

“I would say my personal primary objective was to see how our developing technologies compliment the existing offerings and the remaining gaps in solving supply chain and warehousing pain points,” she says.

“It’s about that whole ecosystem of digital transformation. If we’re coming with one piece of the solution, how does that fit into a roadmap – what are the buyers thinking about when they’re making these kinds of decisions?”

And there are indeed buyers at this show. PROMAT surveyed attendees, and says that more than one-third of the 50,000 people at the show are planning to spend more than $1M in the coming 18 months. According to PROMAT, “a wide variety of companies, including 75% of the top 100 retailers, 65% of the top 100 consumer goods companies and many Fortune 1000s, send teams of buyers to ProMat to find solutions to their specific manufacturing and supply chain challenges.”

Plus, of course, there are keynotes and something like 150 learning seminars. That’s a lot to take in, and this video overview from PROMAT gives you a glimpse of the scale:

 

A GLOBAL TREND

Automating the supply chain isn’t just about efficiency. Worker protection also plays a role with many solutions. Why have a human being repeatedly lift heavy loads if a machine can do it? Why manually count warehouse stock if it can be accomplished faster and more accurately by a robotic system? Those are just a couple of examples among literally hundreds of new and ever-evolving use-cases.

Seeing this myriad of solutions, along with new technological innovations, provides valuable insight and context into the global market.

“At a high level, the supply chain sector is a huge industry that’s being impacted by robotics everyday – it’s one of the biggest industries that’s moving toward robotics applications,” says InDro Vice President Peter King. “So one of the key reasons for attending is for reconnaissance and understanding our place in that market.”

And it’s not just about seeing the latest and greatest. It’s not uncommon, in any sector, for startups and even established companies to sometimes overstate their capabilities. Being on the floor allows InDro to determine whether some of these solutions are indeed ready for prime time.

“This gives us a chance to really see what’s in the industry today,” says King, “including what’s real and what’s not real.”

Below: Stacey Connors tries out a system capable of quickly generating a digital twin of its surroundings

 

Promat Chicago

HIGH POINTS

 

With more than 1,000 exhibits – some massive – it was no small task to have a look at everything on the floor. Our team covered as much ground as possible, and came back with some take-aways.”From a buyer’s perspective, the future is now. High tech solutions have become normalized,” says Vice President King. “But it’s likely a very challenging landscape for buyers to understand where to start with implementation. While there are many, many – many – solutions available, there is no one size fits all.” That means there’s also demand for services from companies like InDro – which not only develop products, but are capable of taking a step back and offering integrated solutions.

“Integrators are of highest value as buyers try to map out introduction of multiple solutions,” says Stacey Connors. “We saw high collaboration amongst all the different technology providers, and the tech is available and more ready for deployment than ever before. Not only that, but there’s a visible increase in the number of options available for each type of technology.

“Integrators like InDro will continue to be rising in demand as all of these technologies become more viable and businesses require customization, support in deployment and management, investment decisions, etc.”

And the high points of the show? Well, there were many. Among them? The Boston Dynamics Stretch – an autonomous robot capable of unloading boxes from trucks – and even positioning a conveyor to take the load. One battery charge powers Stretch for an entire shift:

AND THEN THERE’S DIGIT

 

Another show-stopper was Digit, from Agility Robotics. The bipedal robot is capable of autonomously mapping its environment and picking up and moving objects. This is the kind of repetitive task that is ideal for robotic solutions. Plus, Digit – complete with blinking ‘eyes’ – has been designed with the human-robot interface in mind. People seem to like the way it looks, and would feel comfortable sharing a workspace with this machine.

Of course, robots like this aren’t built overnight. Agility engineers put many years into the development of Digit. Take a look at the product’s evolution, and you’ll get a glimpse of its development process:

 

INDRO’S TAKE

 

InDro Robotics has a long history of identifying trends early in order to be ahead of the curve. It began R&D work and service provision in the Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles sphere long before drones became the ubiquitous devices they are today. The company then identified a growing demand for Uncrewed Ground Vehicles, rapidly developing such innovations as Commander, a bolt-on box that makes customization and integration of robotic platforms a snap – allowing the end user to remotely teleoperate such devices from even thousands of kilometres away.

“Supply chain and inventory management is a huge market, well-suited to InDro’s expertise with both product development and systems integration,” says CEO Philip Reece. “We have an innovative new product currently going through testing for this space and look forward to sharing details soon.

“On a more strategic note, expanding into this sector with new aerial and ground robotics solutions – along with our expertise as an integrator – is a big part of InDro’s plans as the company continues to scale. Stay tuned.”

We look forward to sharing more before long.