Beyond the Conference: Where Commercial UAV Technology is Headed

Every year, Commercial UAV Expo brings together industry leaders, practitioners, innovations, and thought leaders from across the commercial drone industry for a showcase of the newest tools and discussions around the latest trends for the sector. With this year’s event coming right in the middle of the public commenting period for the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for BVLOS operations, those conversations are even more fruitful and impactful. The event includes three days of insightful presentations and panel discussions throughout the conference program, an exhibit hall floor featuring the latest tools available on the market today, and a week of networking and collaboration among industry professionals.

Coming out of events like this, it can be hard to remember all of the insights gleaned throughout the week, so this webinar will give a refresher for the top trends and takeaways from this year’s Expo. Our panel of industry thought leaders will talk about some of the biggest topics that captured their imagination throughout the week, the technologies they saw that will shape the near future of the commercial drone industry, and some of the most insightful conversations in which they took part and presentations for which they were present.

Whether you were in attendance for this year’s Commercial UAV Expo and want to continue diving into some of those takeaways and trends from this year’s event, or you weren’t able to attend and want to catch up on what you missed, this webinar is for you. Don’t miss your chance to hear about the most important trends driving the industry forward.

Speakers

Dr. Chris Raabe, Global CTO, ACSL Inc.

Chris Raabe has been a pioneer in the Japanese drone industry since 2010. He began his journey by developing robust control and non-GPS navigation systems for multicopters as a doctoral candidate and later as a faculty member at the renowned University of Tokyo. He then transitioned to the role of CTO and board member at ACSL, Japan’s leading manufacturer of multicopter drones. Throughout his career, Chris has collaborated with various governmental and industrial entities across Japan, focusing on infrastructure inspection, surveying and mapping, disaster response, logistics, and other specialized applications.

Since joining ACSL in 2017, Chris has overseen the development of over 10 products, achieved more than a tenfold increase in revenue, and played a critical role in ACSL’s IPO on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in December 2018. In 2023, Chris relocated to the US to spearhead ACSL’s expansion into the American market.

Before his tenure in Japan, Chris worked as an engineer at Boeing starting in 2006, where he supported autopilot and flight control engineering for the 737-NG and 747-8 programs. Chris holds a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from Georgia Tech and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan.

Scott Lashmit, UAS Consulting & Complex UAS Operations at Scale, Cyberhawk

Scott is an expert on permissions with the FAA, DOD, and other complex UAS Operations. He has written and received multiple BVLOS waivers covering the entire US. Scott is an experienced fully licensed part 107 Drone pilot (UAS/UAV). He has had the privilege to work in the Energy + Utilities, Renewables, Telecommunications, and Government Sectors with UAS. He contracts with companies looking to leverage the multitude of benefits of UAS at scale.