XPONENTIAL 2018: What’s new and what’s next in unmanned systems

From April 30 – May 3 in Denver, CO, USA; more than 8,500 industry professionals representing more than 20 industries will gather at AUVSIXPONENTIAL 2018 which is the largest tradeshow for the unmanned systems and robotics market.

Attendees at this year’s event will have the opportunity to learn in the 237 sessions being offered as part of the educational program. Educational courses are organized into three tracks covering all areas of the unmanned systems industry: Policy, technology, business solutions and trending topics.Sessions will cover high-growth markets including aerospace, agriculture, artificial intelligence and machine learning, automated vehicles, and much more.

In addition to the sessions offered, XPONENTIAL’s exhibit hall will feature more than 725 companies from around the world. The floor will showcase the full spectrum of technologies, products, and solutions that are driving upward movement of unmanned systems and robotics, according to AUVSI. This includes vision-related technologies such as hyperspectral and embedded vision cameras,machine vision cameras, and thermal imaging cameras.

The show floor will feature XPO Hall Hubs that include the Growing the Industry Hub, the Innovation Hub, and the Solutions Hub, which AUVSI designed to facilitate networking and connections for attendees and exhibitors with similar interest in certain areas. It will also offer State and International Pavilions, Technology Pavilions, and XPO Floor Theaters.New show features for 2018 will also include the AUVSI Excellence Awards, Drone Racing, Outdoor Unmanned Experience, Public Safety UAS Forum, and XBUILD. >>> Learn more about these new events here.

For almost any unmanned system or robot to function in the way it is intended, sensors, cameras, or a vision system must factor in. Brian Wynne, president and CEO of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, commented on the intersection of vision and unmanned systems.

"Unmanned systems are adding a new dimension to machine vision and image processing systems," said Brian Wynne, president and CEO of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International. "Whether with cameras, sensors or other on-board equipment—unmanned technology coupled with machine vision provide users with enhanced data and information for added insight, more informed decision-making and a unique perspective."

Additional items of note regarding XPONENTIAL include:

• The Startup Showdown: Five finalists will have six minutes each to pitch their business to a panel of judges and will then have a six-minute live question-and-answer session. By the end of the session, a Startup Showdown winner will emerge with a grand prize package worth more than $35,000.
• Women and Diversity in Robotics:This discussion forum and networking time provides an opportunity for attendees to join leaders in the community who are shaping the future of the industry. During the event, people will meet in small groups for 15-minute moderated discussions on key areas of interest to the unmanned systems and robotics communities. After each event, the groups will switch to meet and engage with new leaders on a new topic.
• Keynote speeches:Keynote speeches will be given by speakers including Brian Wynne (President and CEO, AUVSI0, Steven G. Bradbury (General Counsel, U.S. Department of Transportation), John Hickenlooper (Governor of Colorado), as well as additional speakers from academia and government, and companies including DJI, Northrup Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and PrecisionHawk.

View more information on XPONENTIAL.

Share your vision-related news by contacting James Carroll, Senior Web Editor, Vision Systems Design

To receive news like this in your inbox, click here.

Join our LinkedIn group | Like us on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter