The May virtual conference will feature live keynotes and education, interactive roundtable discussions and networking sessions. It also will include exhibits from leading technology companies and service providers. All sessions will be recorded and made available on-demand to attendees for 90 days following the event.
The August in-person event will feature a new program of keynote speakers and educational sessions, safely facilitated networking opportunities, and an expanded exhibit hall to experience the latest technology innovations and solutions.
The theme of Xponential 2021 is “Assured Autonomy,” which refers to the process, methodology and guiding principles for ensuring unmanned and autonomous systems will be safe and practical options, able to repeatedly perform the operations they are designed for and be seamlessly integrated into society at scale. According to AUVSI, this theme supports the event’s legacy of convening experts across markets and domains to advance the market for all things unmanned.
“As the global stage for all things unmanned, AUVSI Xponential 2021 is where you’ll join a community of end users, technologists and policymakers working together to fulfill this vision,” AUVSI said. “The series will support its mission to convene the unmanned and automated systems community to accelerate innovation and market adoption of the related technologies.”
AUVSI is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of unmanned systems and robotics. It represents corporations and professionals from more than 60 countries involved in industry, government and academia. AUVSI members work in the defense, civil and commercial markets.
Check out GPS World‘s coverage of AUVSI Xponential from 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
“For decades, the unmanned systems industry has reshaped critical missions and business operations by meeting challenges head-on with innovation and resolve,” said Brian Wynne, president and CEO of AUVSI. “Our commitment to supporting the unmanned systems community remains unwavering, so amidst the current global health crisis we, too, must adapt to fulfill that mission.”
Xponential 2020 was originally scheduled to take place May 4-7 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. It was then rescheduled to take place Oct. 5-8 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas.
“While we are disappointed to not be convening in person this year, the health and safety of Xponential exhibitors and attendees is our utmost priority,” Wynne said. “It may not look like the Xponential we are used to, but we look forward to offering attendees the opportunity to virtually network, learn from and collaborate with one another just as they have in years past.”
According to AUVSI, those who have already registered for Xponential will receive an email in the coming weeks to confirm options for participation in the virtual event.
“Recognizing the importance of driving engagement on future research, development and deployment of automated vehicles, we are confirming that all of the important content already planned for this year’s program will take place within a fully interactive virtual event platform,” organizers said.
The event will feature live sessions and networking, as well as a customizable schedule. In addition, keynote and plenary sessions will explore how society, technology and policy are preparing for and shaping the future of mobility.
The show was originally scheduled to take place May 4-7 in Boston. It was then postponed to tentatively take place Aug. 10-12 in Boston. Because AUVSI was unable to secure the original location for the new dates, the trade show has been moved to the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas.
“While we are disappointed to leave Boston, we are excited to confirm that we will be once again hosting Xponential in Dallas, Texas,” said Brian Wynne, president and CEO of AUVSI. “We anticipate great participation based on the attendance and engagement we experienced there in 2017, and our AUVSI Lone Star Chapter has already extended a warm welcome on behalf of the Texas unmanned systems community.”
According to AUVSI, it based its decision to reschedule to the fall on concerns for the health and safety of the attendees of the trade show because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“For 48 years we have witnessed how innovation and resolve meet challenges head-on to reshape critical missions and business operations for the better,” Wynne said. “Our commitment to supporting the unmanned systems community remains unwavering, so amidst the current global health crisis we, too, must adapt to fulfill that mission.”
AUVSI also will implement a health and safety plan to address social distancing and other measures to help keep participants safe, the association said.
The AUVSI Xponential trade show highlights advancement of businesses and technologies in the unmanned systems industry.
According to AUVSI, the series will offer information, insights and insider knowledge covering a number of topics, including drone delivery, public safety, connectivity, and other aspects of the unmanned systems and robotics industry.
These webinars are being held because of the rescheduled Xponential 2020 conference. Xponential 2020 was originally scheduled to take place May 4-8 in Boston, but is now tentatively scheduled to take place Aug. 9-12.
AUVSI offered an overview of the webinars, which are all complimentary.
Digital Twins — The Future of Virtual and Mixed Reality Robotic Avatars Date: Monday, May 4, 3-4 p.m. EDT Speaker: Peter Haas, associate director, Humanity Centered Robotics Initiative, Brown University
Hass will describe how advances in mixed and virtual reality control will lead to a UX revolution for avatar-based robotic teleoperation, where the manipulation of digital twins will translate to manipulation of a robot — or robots — in the physical world. Register here.
Drone Delivery Supporting Public Health Date: Tuesday, May 5, 3-4 p.m. EDT Speakers: Eric Gardiner and Eric Lasker, federal business development, Zipline
Executives from Zipline will describe how drone delivery has evolved through the Federal Aviation Administration UAS Integration Pilot Program and is now being adapted to help community healthcare partners respond to COVID-19 in the United States. Register here.
NASA’s Vision and Role to Enable Urban Air Mobility Date: Wednesday, May 6, 3-4 p.m. EDT Speakers: Robert Pearce, associate administrator, NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, and Brian Wynne, president and CEO, AUVSI
Pearce will review initiatives to enable small UAS operating at low altitude through a UAS Traffic Management System and large UAS operating in higher altitude airspace with definitive flight experiments to validate key standards, such as detect-and-avoid technology. Wynne will host a discussion with Pearce about his full vision for future aviation, including what the next 50 years has in store for commercial airline travel and urban air mobility. Register here.
Advancing Autonomy Through DARPA Challenge to Benefit First Responders Date: Thursday, May 7, 3-4 p.m. EDT Speaker: Dr. Timothy Chung, program manager, DARPA Tactical Technology Office
DARPA’s Subterranean Challenge engages international teams to deploy autonomous systems — rolling, walking, flying and floating — to remotely map, identify and report on artifacts discovered along underground courses. Chung will discuss persisting challenges with robotics, how teams are succeeding in competition while advancing unmanned capabilities and how these lessons can benefit first responders. Register here.
Aerial Connectivity Joint Activity — Bridging the Gap Between Cellular and Aviation Date: Friday, May 8, 2-3 p.m. Speaker: Mark Davis, technical lead, ACJA
Davis will explore the latest roadmap for aviation and cellular communications, including how recent initiatives such as Aerial Connectivity Joint Activity (ACJA) are aimed at providing a standards framework to enable unmanned aerial cellular. ACJA is a joint activity between GSMA, which represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, and the Global UTM Association, a non-profit consortium of worldwide Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management stakeholders. Register here.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) will co-host the 5th Annual FAA Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Symposium June 16-18 in Baltimore. The event will take place at the Baltimore Convention Center.
The symposium will bring together representatives from the FAA, other government agencies, the industry and academia. According to the show organizers, the presenters and panelists will discuss the latest information and advancements related to the diverse uses of unmanned aircraft, and how these new entrants are being safely integrated into the National Airspace System.
The show will include four primary educational tracks, including public safety, technology and innovation, international and policy. The public safety track will explore topics such as addressing community concerns, security, and using drones to conduct safer and more effective public safety missions. The technology and innovation track will cover how drones and drone technologies are innovating rapidly and fundamentally changing aviation. The international track will feature discussions on how national and international UAS experts, industry representatives, civil society stakeholders, non-governmental organizations and policy makers are working to integrate and use drones across the globe. Finally, the policy track will allow attendees to hear directly from policy decision makers and get their thoughts on regulatory, operational and technical concerns.
In addition, the FAA will operate as an on-site resource center to answer questions from UAS owners and operators. Subject matter experts will be on hand to answer questions about airspace authorizations, waivers, the Part 107 small UAS rule, changes in hobbyists’ drone operations, the Remote Identification rulemaking, and other policies and regulations, the organizers added.
The GPS World and Geospatial Solutions staff are reporting live from the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International’s (AUVSI’s) Xponential 2019 April 29-May 2 in Chicago.
The event convenes the global community of commercial and defense leaders in intelligent robotics, drones and unmanned systems. Check out news, photos and videos from the show.
The task force brings together a cross-section of stakeholders representing the airport, UAS and manned aviation communities to refine procedural practices and provide a policy framework to address the timely and critical issue of incursions by unauthorized UAS at airports and how best to mitigate this threat.
The task force begins work on May 2 during a keynote session at AUVSI Xponential 2019 with a panel discussion featuring Huerta and a representative from the airport industry.
“UAS interfering with manned aviation is a serious issue, and it requires serious solutions. That is why we are bringing together the best and brightest minds to recommend a plan to keep our skies safe for the flying public,” said Brian Wynne, president and CEO of AUVSI during a news conference at Xponential 2019.
“While UAS hold tremendous societal and economic benefits, occasional bad actors threaten to undermine the great progress we have made and even put responsible, legal UAS operations in a negative light,” Wynne said.
Serious concerns regarding unauthorized and unsafe drone operations near airports have been highlighted by the major disruption such activity caused at London Gatwick Airport in December 2018 and Newark Liberty International Airport in January 2019.
Task Force members will examine and develop recommendations around two main areas:
They will generate expert-led dialogue to refine procedural practices for airports, law enforcement and other stakeholders to ensure efficient and seamless responses to future UAS incidents.
They will develop a longer term policy framework based on the experience from the initial efforts to deter incursions and emerging technologies.
The goal is for the task force’s work to lead to and inform future conversations about UAS mitigation at other facilities, such as national landmarks, stadiums, prisons and military bases.
“One of ACI-NA’s highest priorities is ensuring unauthorized and unsafe drone operations do not adversely affect the safety or security of U.S. and Canadian airports,” said Kevin Burke, president and CEO of ACI-NA, at the news conference. “With more and more drones flying in the airspace, we have found ourselves in a new situation with no clear playbook. By bringing together this exceptional group of experts, we are hopeful we can make significant progress in developing best practices that will help airports respond better.”
The Blue Ribbon Task Force will be comprised of former government officials, security professionals and aviation executives, including:
Michael Huerta, Former Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration (Co-Chair)
Deborah Flint, CEO, Los Angeles World Airports (Co-Chair)
Scott Brockman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority
Rich Davis, Former Managing Director of Global Security, United Airlines
Trish Gilbert, Executive Vice President, National Air Traffic Controllers Association
Cathy Lanier, Senior Vice President of Security, National Football League
Huntley A. Lawrence, Director of Aviation, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Chad Makovsky, EVP of Operations, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport
Marily Mora, President/CEO of the Reno Tahoe Airport Authority (RTAA)
John Pistole, Former Administrator, Transportation Security Administration, and Former Deputy Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation
Jamie Rhee, Commissioner, Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA)
Expert advice and comments sought. As part of its work, the task force will meet with experts in UAS technology, national security and defense, law enforcement, government, and those working in the National Air Space, including UAS operators, commercial and general aviation pilots, air traffic controllers, and airline and airport leadership.
The task force will solicit comments on its website from the public and will explore holding a limited series of in-person and virtual public meetings on UAS mitigation. It anticipates releasing findings over the summer.
“The industry is working with our government partners on remote identification and tracking standards, but we understand that more needs to be done and at faster pace than the regulatory process allows,” Wynne said. “That’s why the industry is stepping up to explore near-term solutions before remote ID regulations are finalized and published.”
Xsens launched its MTi 600-series of inertial sensors at Xponential 2019, which took place April 29-May 2 in Chicago. At the show, the MTi 600-series won a Technology Innovation Award from the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International.
AUVSI Xponential 2019 — the huge exhibition and conference built around unmanned everything — will run at the West Building, McCormick Place Convention Center, April 29 to May 2 in Chicago.
This is the premier show for the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) group and its many members and supporters who have interest in unmanned technology — 8,500 attendees with connection to unmanned and autonomous capability are expected to walk the exhibit hall to see the latest products, hear numerous related presentations, participate in educational courses, and mingle with other like-minded people in the industry.
I was looking for a way to provide a brief overview of the companies exhibiting; a sample cross-section to provide an insight on what to expect. But with more than 700 exhibitors, it’s a difficult thing to do. Then I realized that the company show preview emails in my inbox were from organizations that were actually quite representative of the industry, and I had my overview selection.
Flyability’s drones are adapted for inspection tasks, both indoors and out, with an exterior protective cage. Routine inspection jobs indoors, underground and around complex pipework become quicker, safer and are fully documented by high-resolution video and stills.
This all enables the reduction of costs and process-interruption downtime of industrial inspections, while also reducing to a large degree the risks for inspection professionals. Industries using these inspection drones include power generation, oil and gas, chemicals, maritime, infrastructures and utilities, and public safety.
AeroVironment’s drones are used extensively by the military for surveillance and reconnaissance, and in the commercial sector they focus on tools for agriculture.
Quantix drone. (Photo: AeroVironment)
The VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) Quantix drone system is fully automated for takeoff, flight and landing, enabling mapping of farm acreage to monitor crop health to identify anomalies due to water, insect, weed and disease so their impact on yield can be minimized.
Valqari has developed a drone mailbox that is interoperable with a large number of delivery drones and enables drop-off of packages in residential neighborhoods.
The Valqari drone mailbox automatically accepts packages and safely stores them until the recipient opens the box later to retrieve them.
Cepton Technologies makes lidar systems more commonly used for automotive obstacle detection, but now customized for UAV integration and use. Its UAV lidar system provides long-range, high-resolution and low-cost mapping capabilities in a lightweight package. With a scanning range of 200 meters, high-density map-data acquisition becomes possible.
Deseret UAS is a non-profit working to bring UAS business to Utah — the organization offers information, promotes UAS companies and offers test-range access in Utah. In collaboration with Utah State University AggieAir, FAA authority for flight testing in wide open; low-risk operational areas of Utah can be accessed.
And, of course, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI), manufacturer of the well-known Predator military drone, will exhibit. At Xponential 2018, GA-ASI unveiled its MQ-9B SkyGuardian certifiable drone system. Through the year, the company has progressed towards certification of the system for flight within the U.S. civilian National Airspace System and the civil airspace of other countries around the world.
GA-ASI’s latest media release recounted how an MQ-9B was flown by the company’s Certifiable Ground Control Station (CGCS) on March 9, including both take-off and landing. The CGCS architecture separates flight and mission-critical functions. Off-the-shelf avionics and flight computers are used for flight-critical functions, and mission-critical functions run alongside GA-ASI’s Advanced Cockpit payload and weapons equipment.
Meanwhile, High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) unmanned aircraft are back in the news with what appears to be a crash during the sensitive take-off/climb-out regime. The Airbus Zephyr aircraft — with an 82-foot wingspan, but weighing less than 75 pounds — was engaged in a test campaign in Western Australia when the ground abruptly intervened on March 15.
Airbus is working with the UK Ministry of Defence to demonstrate the operational capabilities of the UAV and its anticipated payload options. Once airborne, Zephyr is intended to climb out to upwards of 65,000 feet into the stratosphere — previously achieving a maximum altitude of 74,000 feet — and has so far been able to remain airborne for almost 26 days. The object is to create a commercial, reusable, reconfigurable satellite-like capability for communications and surveillance applications.
Airbus and MoD are undertaking a crash investigation to determine what exactly happened and how to prevent future recurrence. The incident occurred about four hours into a demonstration flight, and (reading between the lines) may have been related to rapid weather changes that destabilized the UAV while in the take-off and climb-out phase. An automated launch system is in the works — currently Zephyr is man-handled for take-off.
Other HAPS programs include AeroVironment and Japan’s Softbank, Astigan and the UK Ordnance Survey, BAE Systems and Prismatic, and Boeing’s Aurora Flight Sciences. Thales, meanwhile, is apparently focusing on an approach using an autonomous airship.
So some good news, some not so good. Lots of attendees are expected in Chicago for the AUVSI Xponential show, with new developments in unmanned aircraft, robotics, and unmanned ground and water systems anticipated in the exhibition hall. There will be lots of people in the industry with whom to exchange ideas and conduct business to conduct, hopefully just as spring arrives in the windy city.
Meanwhile, over the coming months Airbus will no doubt continue to work out how to overcome the latest problems in HAPS technology and operations.
The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) has formed an Unmanned Maritime Systems (UMS) Advocacy Committee to focus on the development of policy positions to support the advancement of the industry.
“Unmanned maritime systems allow military and commercial operators alike to go farther and deeper than ever before,” said Brian Wynne, president and CEO of AUVSI. “The input provided by the UMS Advocacy Committee will help us speak with a unified voice and enable all our members to advocate for the growth of the industry.”
The UMS Advocacy Committee will be chaired by Thomas Reynolds, vice president of business development for Hydroid Inc./Kongsberg Maritime. Reynolds, who leads all Kongsberg Maritime business with the U.S. government, previously served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy, where he served as commander of the Explosive Ordinance Disposal Task Group, U.S. Fifth Fleet, among other roles.
Reynolds holds a bachelor of science degree from the U.S. Naval Academy and an executive master of business administration from Benedictine College.
Wayne Prender, vice president for Applied Technology and Advance Programs at Textron Systems, will be the committee’s vice chair. In his role at Textron, Prender is responsible for engineering development programs, advancing areas such as the Common Unmanned Surface Vehicle and Cased-Telescoped Weapons and Ammunition, as well as emerging capabilities and development programs.
Prender is a former commissioned officer in the U.S. Army, where he was deployed to Iraq and awarded the Bronze Star. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from St. Louis University, a master’s degree in technology management and a master of business administration from the University of Maryland University College.
The committee also includes representatives from BAE Systems, L3 Technologies, Leidos, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Seaborn Defense.
The UMS Advocacy Committee formalized a set of policy priorities to help guide the committee’s legislative and regulatory actions. The priorities state that the committee shall:
Establish the UMS Advocacy Committee as the preeminent industry voice influencing acquisition and regulatory policies and processes.
Facilitate the growth of UMS through active engagement with the government and commercial sectors.
Collaborate with ship owners, operators, shipyards, ports, federal maritime agencies, technology developers, classification societies and academia to further integrate advanced automation for maritime platforms into the domestic market.
Develop the future of the UMS workforce through technology-focused education.
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The GPS World and Geospatial Solutions staff reported live from the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International’s (AUVSI’s) Xponential 2018 April 30-May 3 in Denver. Check out videos from the event above.
