Drone Show Lands In London

The SkyTech 2016 UAV Conference & Exhibition returns for its second edition at London's Business Design Centre on the 27th & 28th January 2016.

Now in its second year SkyTech 2016 will include an exhibition, three conferences, workshops, product launches, live demonstrations and marketing opportunities for the commercial UAV industry. SkyTech will cover UAV usage across a range of markets including media & broadcasting, construction, agriculture, utilities, infrastructure, energy, mining, oil & gas, emergency services, surveying, mapping and security.

SkyTech 2016 will feature an international exhibition and demonstration zone showcasing cutting edge technology & services from across the UAV industry, coupled with a social programme featuring the UK's first drone film and photography festival: Dronefest.

Dronefest is an international film and photography competition culminating in a one-night festival dedicated to everything drones. Drones have opened up a whole new world of cinematography and Dronefest has been created to celebrate exactly that. Dronefest is bringing the best in aerial cinematography to SkyTech for one night only on the 27 January 2016 for a jam-packed evening featuring screenings of shortlisted films, photography showcases and award presentations.

SkyTech 2016 will also feature a packed workshop programme aimed at new UAV users. Breakout workshops provide the ideal opportunity to get to grips with UAV technology from speakers including Sky Futures, RUSTA, Cambridge UAV Academy, Marsh Aviation and Resource Group.

Topics covered will include:
• Getting into the UAV Industry
• Competent & Safe UAV Operations for Valuable Big Data
• Risks associated with UAV operations in civil airspace
• Navigation & Flight Planning
• Incorporating UAVs into a business model
• Commercial Pilot Training
• UAV Insurance Requirements

An extensive conference programme will see 40 speakers present across three conferences. SkyTech's Industry Conference will bring the latest UAV technology to the stage through dedicated product launch and technology showcase sessions, alongside discussion of regulatory development within the sector, whilst the Survey and Applications Conferences will focus upon UAV uses within specific industries.

Speakers include representatives from UNIFLY, Pix4D, Ampyx Power, Flyability, NVIDIA, Crossrail, BioCarbon Engineering, McGill University, AECOM, UK Trade & Investment, Blue Bear Systems, Historic England and SGS Hart Aviation.

Eddie Seymour, European Technical Director at NVIDIA will present the NVIDIA Jetson TX1: The embedded platform with machine learning for a new generation of intelligent, autonomous UAVs. The Jetson TX1 addresses the challenge of creating a new wave of millions of smart devices by incorporating capabilities such as machine learning, computer vision, navigation and more. Jetson TX1 is also built into a Developer Kit, which enables hobbyists and professionals to develop and test highly advanced autonomous UAVs and makes it easy to transition from development to manufacturing and production.

Flyability will present Gimball, the first collision-tolerant drone for the inspection and exploration of inaccessible places. With current drone platforms limited to operating in wide open spaces, far from structures & people, Flyability will discuss how Gimball is pushing at the boundaries of such limitations performing missions indoors and even inside vessels, tunnels and galleries for the Energy, Oil & Gas, Transportation and Water Management industries.

Olivier Küng, Co-founder and Project Director at Pix4D will discuss the Mapping Nepal Project which saw Pix4D and other technology leaders from around the world partner with Kathmandu Living Labs (KLL) and Kathmandu University (KU) for a week-long UAV training mission. Küng will consider how up-to-date maps and models produced from drone-acquired imagery and photogrammetry software can provide critical information for disaster evaluation and reconstruction.

William Reddaway, Innovation & Reporting Consultant at Crossrail will discuss Crossrail's award-winning innovation programme "Innovate18" which has funded the investigation and trial of using UAVs in a construction and engineering project. Reddaway will consider the use of UAVs in major infrastructure projects alongside sharing how Crossrail plan to use drones in the future.

Ticket availability for SkyTech 2016 is now limited.

Ticket types:
• Exhibition & Workshop Pass = Free
• Conference Pass = One Day: £100
• Conference Pass = Two Day: £150

For full information about SkyTech 2016 visit the event website at
www.skytechevent.com.

Further information about Dronefest can be found at www.dronefestival.co.uk.

Image: Courtesy of SkyTech.

(JP/LM)