Winners announced for AUVSI XCELLENCE Awards

The awards are 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.