Drone Brain Maker Airware Gets a Lift as GE Climbs on Board
Posted: 2015-4-20
Last November, when GE invested in the drone technology company Airware,
Alex Tepper, managing director at GE Ventures, said his company wanted to
be part of the commercial drone space and "help it grow."
He’s made good on that promise. Last week GE became Airware’s first large
enterprise customer for its brand new "operating system for commercial
drones" called the Aerial Information Platform (AIP).
"We are currently developing drone solutions for our customers," Tepper
said. He said that drones could monitor thousands of miles of pipelines and
railroads, survey off-shore oil rigs, and safely inspect transmission towers
and power lines.
Airware, based in San Francisco, is the idea of American entrepreneur
Jonathan Downey. The former pilot realized that while there have been many
drone makers, there were very few standardized building blocks. "For the
industry to take off, you need more than just an autopilot," he said.
Downey’s solution was the AIP, which combines airborne and ground-based
hardware and software with cloud-based management and analytics
services.
The latest version of the system will allow users to manage their fleets, scale
data collection and analysis, integrate the results with existing business
software systems, and help meet safety, regulatory and insurance
requirements, Airware says.
Downey says the system’s flexibility also allows customers to easily embrace
thermal sensors, multispectral cameras, LiDAR and software apps from a
vast ecosystem of third-party vendors. "Commercial drones will change the
way we do our jobs, improve our decision-making, and save lives," Downey
says.
Airware’s systems are already being used by drone manufacturers like
France’s Delta Drone and Altavian, Allied Drones, and Drone America in the
U.S. "We have been testing Airware’s product for a variety of applications in
France, including mining surveys, precision agriculture, industrial inspection,
and forestry," said Christian F. Viguié, chairman and CEO of Delta Drone.
The potential repertoire of commercial drones is huge. They could be used
for everything from infrastructure inspection and land management to
environmental monitoring, surveying and mapping, precision agriculture, and
running public safety, search and rescue and wildlife conservation missions.
Aiware’s technology already took part in an anti-poaching exercise in a
northern white rhino wildlife preserve in Kenya.
Says GE’s Tepper: "Drones have the ability to reduce downtime, increase
safety, and provide more reliable operations for our customers and we
believe that Airware is going to be a key partner in helping us deliver these
solutions."
Alex Tepper, managing director at GE Ventures, said his company wanted to
be part of the commercial drone space and "help it grow."
He’s made good on that promise. Last week GE became Airware’s first large
enterprise customer for its brand new "operating system for commercial
drones" called the Aerial Information Platform (AIP).
"We are currently developing drone solutions for our customers," Tepper
said. He said that drones could monitor thousands of miles of pipelines and
railroads, survey off-shore oil rigs, and safely inspect transmission towers
and power lines.
Airware, based in San Francisco, is the idea of American entrepreneur
Jonathan Downey. The former pilot realized that while there have been many
drone makers, there were very few standardized building blocks. "For the
industry to take off, you need more than just an autopilot," he said.
Downey’s solution was the AIP, which combines airborne and ground-based
hardware and software with cloud-based management and analytics
services.
The latest version of the system will allow users to manage their fleets, scale
data collection and analysis, integrate the results with existing business
software systems, and help meet safety, regulatory and insurance
requirements, Airware says.
Downey says the system’s flexibility also allows customers to easily embrace
thermal sensors, multispectral cameras, LiDAR and software apps from a
vast ecosystem of third-party vendors. "Commercial drones will change the
way we do our jobs, improve our decision-making, and save lives," Downey
says.
Airware’s systems are already being used by drone manufacturers like
France’s Delta Drone and Altavian, Allied Drones, and Drone America in the
U.S. "We have been testing Airware’s product for a variety of applications in
France, including mining surveys, precision agriculture, industrial inspection,
and forestry," said Christian F. Viguié, chairman and CEO of Delta Drone.
The potential repertoire of commercial drones is huge. They could be used
for everything from infrastructure inspection and land management to
environmental monitoring, surveying and mapping, precision agriculture, and
running public safety, search and rescue and wildlife conservation missions.
Aiware’s technology already took part in an anti-poaching exercise in a
northern white rhino wildlife preserve in Kenya.
Says GE’s Tepper: "Drones have the ability to reduce downtime, increase
safety, and provide more reliable operations for our customers and we
believe that Airware is going to be a key partner in helping us deliver these
solutions."
