AV News: Interdrone 2017 - What You Missed

Did you miss any of the action at Interdrone 2017? We have you covered! We're on site at the Rio in Las Vegas, Nevada, where things have changed quite a bit from last year's event. The drones are bigger, the companies are bigger, and the overall focus of the conference has shifted. The third annual InterDrone conference brought people from all areas of the drone industry together under one roof in Las Vegas. This year’s event showcased 185 exhibitors and more than 120 speakers. FAA administrator Michael Huerta and Intel CEO Brian Krzanich delivered the opening keynotes. The conference took place just after the one-year anniversary of the introduction of Part 107, which allows drone pilots to take a test to fly commercially. That meant many more pilots flying with the goal of making money compared to last year’s event. “The quality of individual we’re seeing come through InterDrone has changed so much. It’s the enterprise clients now. It’s the big-name companies you recognize. And it’s so interesting too though, I’m seeing all the same guys and gals I saw last year, and now they’re saying, I’m doing these surveys, I’m doing these inspections, helping with search and rescue with the hurricanes, and it’s just cool now to see that progression as well.” Companies like Intel, Yuneec, GDU and more showed off their latest drones in the conference’s fly cage. Other companies like ParaZero, Indemnis and Fruity Chutes offered solutions to make drone flights safer. nd then there was SCI, which unveiled its brand-new anti-drone defense technology. Its AeroGuard drone is designed to use a net to stop rogue drones, whether they’re flying over stadiums or being used for malicious purposes. “Our system is designed to address that threat in urban environments, in civilian uncontrolled environments, and in locations where you generally have to have ultra-low collateral damage. You can’t just use a ground-based air defense and start firing lead up in the air. You need something that you can use inside of a city.” Many other companies displayed their products at InterDrone, hoping to get a slice of the commercial drone operation industry. From surveying to agriculture to cinematography, all areas of the drone world were represented. Swiss company Flyability had one of several interactive exhibits at the expo, showcasing its Elios drone that is used to inspect and explore indoor, complex and cluttered spaces. “So you can see it’s rotating in three axes, and this is extremely important to provide that collision-tolerant behavior. Basically, the idea is to be able to fly where no other drone can fly." InterDrone 2018 will be back at the Rio in Las Vegas in early September of next year. If the pace of the drone industry is any indication, next year’s event could bring even more new innovations and ideas from the drone world. Stay tuned to AirVuz News for more Interdrone coverage and the latest from the drone world.