Editor’s note: This article may be of interest to the wind power industry because of the drone’s potential to relieve wind techs of some of their on-a-rope inspection duties. Although the industry is quite new, it is developing fast.
The 2nd Annual Drone World Expo attracted 2,711 commercial drone professionals this week to the San Jose Convention Center. The exhibit hall featured nearly 100 exhibiting companies showcasing the newest products and solutions with a world-class education program featuring a stellar line up of 120 end users, industry and government experts.
The exhibit hall featured nearly 100 exhibiting companies showcasing the newest products and solutions with a world-class education program featuring a stellar line up of 120 end users, industry and government experts. Earlier, AES Announces Open Innovation Contest For Unmanned Inspections in Extreme Heat, Improving Safety and Helping Solve $1B Problem for the Global Electric Utility Industry
“The energy and excitement at Drone World Expo was fantastic, fueled by the new product announcements, unique educational content and incredible networking opportunities. We would like to thank our exhibitors, attendees, speakers and partners for making this event more than a tradeshow but a true community gathering in the heart of Silicon Valley,” said Joelle Coretti, Event Director, Drone World Expo. “We heard a lot of great buzz on the show floor from the commercial end users who were discovering many innovative and dynamic new products and solutions for their needs.”
The exhibitors responded enthusiastically about their experience at the trade show with many already renewing booth space for the 2017 Show which will take place October 3-4, again at the San Jose Convention Center.
John Sheehan, Leader, Commercial Aviation Inspection Service, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company said, “This was our first time at Drone World Expo and we were very impressed with the audience which was the right mix of users, operators and producers. This event is what the industry needs – an opportunity for real businesses to find solutions for their real needs. We will definitely be back in 2017.”
Rosalie Bartlett, Marketing Manager, Kespry said, “We were thrilled to have met with end users in all of our target markets agriculture, construction, insurance and mining. So many of the attendees walking the floor did their research about the industry and came ready to buy seeing the huge ROI in using drone technology. The Drone World Expo education program was great – providing end users with compelling and informative reasons to invest in drone technology. We couldn’t be happier with the results.”
Steve Snow, Marketing Specialist, Esri said, “Drone World Expo delivered an excellent conference which brought us a lot of good leads. The event is helping to build a stronger community.”
Steve Gitlin, Vice President Corporate Strategy, AeroVironment said, “Drone World Expo was very productive from an integration of ideas standpoint. We launched our new Quantix drone at the show and now the operators who were in attendance can see the benefits of the range, reliability and efficiency of the product and the commercial applications.”
In addition to the exhibits, Drone World Expo offered a world-class education program which kicked off with an opening day keynote presentation on The Future of Drones: Clearing the Flight Path to a Connected World. Prior to the keynote Gretchen West of Hogan Lovells, provided an overview of the last year for the drone industry where UAS/drone user registration topped 600,000 by the end of September 2016 compared to 250,000 manned aircraft registrations. West discussed the key factors driving the growth in the industry which have been fueled by the implementation of the long-awaited/anticipated Part 107; as well as; recommendations for the FAA Micro UAS ARC; the creation and adoption of the NTIA and Industry Privacy Best Practices; and the Congressional Extension of FAA Reauthorization Act to name a few.
On Wednesday morning, attendees had a chance to hear from Zipline International, Crisfield Clinic, X (formerly Google x) and the Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership who discussed the implementation of drone delivery, and the realities and challenges the industry faces. Lawrence Williams of Zipline showcased the work they are doing in Rwanda delivering medical supplies and said, “Instant delivery is what people expect and in healthcare logistics it can save lives. Currently our drones in Rwanda are capable of delivery of life saving medical products, in a 15 to 35-minute time frame, which is truly transformative.” He and Dr. Kerry Palakanis of Crisfield Clinic discussed the work they are doing toward bringing this technology to rural areas in the United States.
Drone World Expo 2017 will be held October 3 to 4, once again at the San Jose Convention Center. For more information, visit www.droneworldexpo.com.
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