Florida Tech to Host Advanced Drone Delivery Air Mobility Technology Showcase Event Dec. 7

Drone Package Delivery Demonstration, Vendor Presentations and More

One of the few companies in the country with FAA certification to offer drone delivery will showcase its “last mile” delivery services at a special event on the campus of Florida Tech on December 7 that will also feature presentations from leading companies in the advanced air mobility sector. (Florida Tech image)

BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – One of the few companies in the country with FAA certification to offer drone delivery will showcase its “last mile” delivery services at a special event on the campus of Florida Tech on December 7 that will also feature presentations from leading companies in the advanced air mobility sector.

The AAM Technology Showcase will run from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Folliard Alumni Center, 2600 Country Club Road on the Melbourne campus of Florida Tech.

After opening remarks, Causey Aviation Unmanned (CAU) CEO Jeff Causey will talk briefly about his company’s journey to certification and achievements in this domain before conducting a demonstration of CAU’s drone delivery system.

This is not science fiction. Causey, which joins Amazon, Alphabet’s Wing, UPS and Zipline as the only FAA Part 135 certified drone operators in the U.S., currently offers healthcare and retail deliveries in several sites in its home state of North Carolina as well as sites in Texas and upstate New York.

After the demonstration, guests will hear from vendors representing different elements of the broad technology ecosystem – software for safety and security, delivery system development, avionics and control systems, and more – that are helping to drive the adoption of this new mode of mobility. Like CAU, these four companies are start-ups at various stages of growth.

Presenting are Valqari, ResilenX, Volatus I&E and Heka.

The event can show stakeholders in Central Florida, including health providers and public safety agencies, how advanced air mobility could work in their fields, said Chris Fernando ‘02, a Florida Tech alumnus and adjunct professor of advanced air mobility and principal at the North Carolina-based aviation consulting firm Hovecon.

“Many public safety agencies are looking to deploy drones as first responders,” he said, noting that these systems machines can often get to the scene of an emergency to deliver an automatic electronic defibrillator or overdose-reversing Narcan ahead of emergency personnel.

The growing sector is also rich with research and development opportunities for Florida Tech’s ATLAS Lab, College of Aeronautics and other areas at the university such as engineering and mechanical systems.

“I am so delighted to see this event happening at my alma mater, as AAM is rapidly evolving and becoming a reality within our multi-modal transportation systems,” said Fin Bonset ’96, ’99 MSA, Ex-Officio of the Florida Tech Alumni Association and director of aviation at airport planning firm VHB.

“Airports are starting to plan for all types of advanced air mobility with a focus on last-mile cargo delivery, autonomous drone delivery and eventual passenger applications.”

VHB is currently supporting the City of Orlando with AAM integration, with Bonset and his team creating guidance for AAM operators to be able to begin planning and implementing their respective operations within the city.

And as states work to build their AAM ecosystems and attract companies in the space, the needed workforce will bring new opportunities and substantial economic impact, noted Amit Choudhri, president of Radial Vector Consulting, a company supporting the development of AAM infrastructure, and an organizer of the Dec. 7 event.

“There is a lot of energy around this industry,” he said. “Everyone is trying to secure these companies.”

The event is invitation-only but there may be openings for some members of the public to attend. People interested are encouraged to contact Chris Fernando at chris.fernando@hovecon.com.