ING Robotic Aviation would like to congratulate the outstanding performance of team VAMUdeS at this year’s Unmanned Systems Canada student Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) competition. They placed first operationally, and third for design, in a tough field of competitors, including 10 teams from top universities all across the country.
“We proud to be associated with the Université of Sherbrooke. We have been doing so for 5 years and are going to continue” said Ian Glenn, CEO of ING Robotic Aviation. “This is how the next wave of Canadian high-tech is being developed – through partnership, cooperation, leadership, creativity and a willingness to push boundaries.”
Along with the focus of using UAS for commercial use, the teams were challenged to use the vehicles in support of forest fighting. Exercising their technical creativities, VAMUdeS was up against some strong competition including the UTA team from the University of Toronto.
“We have recruited almost all of our engineering staff from Université de Sherbrooke, and we have our research and development facility nearby,” said Charles Vidal, ING Robotic Aviation’s Director of Engineering. Vidal led the team to win the very first student competition 5 years ago and now volunteers his time over the year to chair the competition.
Fostering the development of expertise in the design and operation of robotic aviation is critical to ING Robotic Aviation from two points of view.
First of all, leadership in all aspects of the field is necessary when one is in the forefront of disruptive technological change, in this case reinventing aviation. There is little in the way of a pool of talent and experience in the field upon which to draw. As a result, ING Robotic Aviation decided to get closely involved with students and educational institutions.
Also, a strong sense of corporate responsibility is part of ING Robotic Aviation’s DNA. Built into the use of robotic aviation is a huge reduction in end-users’ environmental footprint, as well as major improvements in workplace safety.
Beyond this, the company is dedicated to creating excellent high-tech jobs in Canada (including in remote communities), to hiring veterans and to extended involvement with students. And the expression “built into the DNA” really means something, given the backgrounds of the people who have built the company.
In addition to the company’s close involvement with the Université de Sherbrooke, it sponsors the successful W.A.F.F.L.E.S. high school robotics team as well as working with Canadore College in North Bay to offer a certified course in operation of unmanned aerial systems.
Source: Press Release