The world of drones will descend on Las Vegas at InterDrone next week, and Local Motors will play a big role at the world’s largest conference and expo dedicated to unmanned aerial vehicles. In the wake of LM’s work on the Airbus Cargo Drone Challenge, several of our team members and our partners will share our latest innovations, answer questions about our co-creation and connect with the drone community.
This year, we added drones to our vehicle portfolio when we partnered with Airbus Group to develop a cargo drone. We received more than 425 entries to design a commercial drone capable of delivering supplies to those with urgent medical needs. After we awarded $117,500 to the winners, we began work on the prototype.
As LM continues our work with Airbus Group, we’re getting more deeply involved in the drone community. All the more reason to dive into the industry’s leading conference. Here are specifics on what we’ll be doing at the show.
Hugh Palmer, our director of product management, will deliver a keynote speech on Thursday, Sept. 8th at 4:55 p.m. His wealth of experience in taking products from concept to market is sure to be a hit among builders and makers, who are all working hard to change the world through drones. He’s speak specifically on on how Local Motors and Airbus are using co-creation to advance the development of cargo drones.
On that topic, co-creation will be the theme of our booth at InterDrone. Co-creation is at the core of how Local Motors brings vehicles to market, and goes far beyond simply sharing ideas with others.
Co-creation is the process where brands and consumers work together to create better products, services, and ideas. It has resulted in us selecting several valid designs for a cargo drone in only a matter of weeks. It’s also how we built a self-driving shuttle in about three months.
Chris Anderson, a leader in the international drone community and a judge in the Airbus Cargo Drone Challenge, will join us at our booth to discuss how 3D Robotics’ flight management system will be integrated with our cargo drone. He’ll also deliver a keynote on Thursday, Sept. 8th at 10:00 a.m.
Drone experts from Airbus Group will also be in attendance at our booth to share their thoughts on the design and development of the Airbus Cargo Drone, which is being built now at Praxis Aerospace — not far from the conference. Show attendees can also connect with the folks from Airbus Group to gain a deeper understanding of their involvement in the drone community, as well as what’s on deck for the innovative aerospace company.
We’re also pleased to have our team members Elle Shelley, Gina O’Connell, and Michele Abbate attend the Women in Drones Luncheon. In an industry as fast-moving as drones, we look forward to connecting with like-minded women who are just as excited for drones as we are.
Visit the Local Motors booth (#900) to learn more about how you can get involved in our co-creation community and learn about upcoming challenges that will create a better world through hardware.