Awards Presented To Companies, Organizations And Individuals Demonstrating Achievement In The Unmanned Systems Field

Winners for the second annual XCELLENCE Awards by the Association for Unmanned Vehicles Systems International (AUVSI) were named during an awards ceremony at AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2019 at McCormick Place in Chicago. Recipients represent the accomplishments by companies, organizations and individuals across the unmanned systems community.

"The rapid growth of the unmanned systems industry is reshaping our future by expanding business markets, providing consumers with innovative solutions and even saving lives," said Brian Wynne, president and CEO of AUVSI. "The XCELLENCE awards recognize companies and individuals who are achieving remarkable results with unmanned systems technology to benefit our communities.”

The AUVSI XCELLENCE Awards honor innovators with a demonstrated commitment to advancing technology, leading and promoting safe operations and developing programs that use unmanned systems to improve the human conditions. These are the winners in each category:

TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION

Commercial/Enterprise Operation

• First Place: GBA, Eyes in the Sky Perform Bridge Delamination Assessment
• Second Place: Impossible Aerospace, Impossible US-1
• Third Place: Propeller, Propeller Software Platform

Communication or Data Connection Solutions

• First Place: Persistent Systems LLC, Wave Relay® Mobile Ad Hoc Network
• Second Place: Simulyze, Inc., Mission InsightTM
• Third Place: MilSource, MILTECH 907

Detect & Avoid Solutions

• First Place: Buffalo Automation, AutoMate
• Second Place: NASA, Independent Configurable Architecture for Reliable Operations of Unmanned Systems (ICAROUS)
• Third Place: Auterion, Auterion PX4 Avoidance

Fleet Management Software & Solutions

• First Place: Kittyhawk IO, Kittyhawk Drone Operations for Enterprise
• Second Place: Auterion, Auterion Insights
• Third Place: AutonomouStuff, Platform Fleet

Power Solutions

• First Place: SolidEnergy Systems, Lithium Metal Batteries
• Second Place: Global Energy Transmission Co., GET Air 12 Kilowatt Power Cloud and In-Air Drone Charging System
• Third Place: Unmanned Systems and Solutions, LLC, Long Endurance Aerial Platform (LEAP)

Safety Solutions

• First Place: Fluidity Technologies, FT Aviator Drone Flight Controller
• Second Place: ParaZero, SafeAir Systems
• Third Place: UASidekick, UASidekick

UAS Mitigation & Security

• First Place: WhiteFox Defense Technologies, Inc., DroneFox Mobile
• Second Place: Ascent Vision Technologies, XMADIS
• Third Place: Airspace, Galaxy

Vision/Camera Systems & Components

• First Place: Xsens, Xsens MTi 600-series
• Second Place: Velodyne Lidar, Alpha Puck
• Third Place: Arbe, Phoenix Radar System

XCELLENCE in Innovation

• First Place: WhiteFox Defense Technologies, Inc., WISDM
• Second Place: Fortem Technologies, Fortem SkyDome
• Third Place: Cepton Technologies, Inc., SORA 200

OPERATIONS & SAFETY

Operations & Safety Organization

• First Place: NASA, NASA Langley UAS Operations Office
• Second Place: Kansas Department of Transportation, KDOT UAS Safety Risk Management Program
• Third Place: AES Corporation, Striving for Safety Excellence with Global Drone Program

TRAINING & EDUCATION

Training & Education Organization

• First Place: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Worldwide, ERAU-W UAS Program
• Second Place: Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus UAS, Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus UAS Program
• Third Place: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Gaetz Aerospace Institute

Training and Education Professional

• Winner: Barry J. Brennan, President & Founder, Flying Lion, Inc.

XPONENTIAL offers a broad-based and balanced educational program brimming with cutting-edge content and inspirational insights, ranging from policy implications and technical challenges to use cases and best practices across vertical markets and everything in between. The AUVSI XCELLENCE Awards honor innovators in the unmanned systems industry, including individuals and organizations, with a demonstrated commitment to advancing technology, leading and promoting safe operations, and developing programs that use unmanned systems to improve the human condition.

(Source: AUVSI news release)

FMI: xponential.org