Is India the next hot spot for unmanned business? Ankit Mehta is Co-founder &amp; CEO of ideaForge, India’s largest manufacturer of drones for defense, homeland security and industrial applications. Founded in 2007, the company has a consistent market share of over 90% in the Security &amp; Surveillance segment. It is also the first company to indigenously develop and manufacture Vertical Take-off and Landing UAVs in India. IdeaForge is the pioneer in the UAV industry in India and has multiple IPs to its credit, including the then world’s lightest autopilot in 2009.&nbsp; The company has deployed over 1000 systems and has trained more than 1400 pilots in defense, public safety and security.&nbsp; The company is continually innovating and experimenting to transform its aerial platforms, to offer greater performance, higher reliability and autonomy. At&nbsp;ideaForge, Ankit is leading the charge to deliver cutting-edge technology that is Made-in-India and second to none. &nbsp;One of those innovations is the IdeaForge SWITCH UAV, a first of its kind VTOL and fixed wing hybrid Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. SWITCH features advanced flight time, higher safety and simple operation with additional fail-safe redundancies.&nbsp; It is used for long duration operations, long endurance surveillance and security, inspection and photogrammetry. It is so good, the Indian Army selected the Switch above all others earlier this year to strengthen its unmanned presence. In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Ankit talks about IdeaForge, the Switch UAV and how the company became India’s leading drone manufacturer.

Drones Over India - The Story of IdeaForge:  Ankit Mehta, CEO

Rinse FM Podcast

Keysound - 22 February 2024

Umm Kulthum has been called the greatest singer in the Arabic speaking world in the 20th century. Born in 1904 the humble daughter of an Egyptian village imam, she went on to become a glamorous Cairo celebrity in her 20s, and soon after that, a cultural icon whose monthly live radio broadcasts brought much of Egypt to a standstill. She turned high poetry into popular culture. She extended musical forms with her virtuoso, extended vocal improvisations. Combining historical, religious, literary and musical passions, she inspired an enduring sense of national pride and left a legacy for the ages. Millions gathered for her 1975 funeral. With Umm Kulthum biographer Virginia Danielson as guide and guest, this program explores the life and music of a musical legend. Produced by Banning Eyre.

APWW #465

Women's History Month: Umm Kulthum - The Voice of Egypt

Amit Ganjoo is a serial entrepreneur and Founder and CEO of ANRA Technologies, an Award Winning Drone Operations and UAS Traffic Managment Platform provider based in Washington DC.&nbsp; The company’s platform is used by multiple commercial and government entities for running and managing commercial drone operations.   As advance air mobility efforts accelerate and the use of air taxis becomes a reality, vertiport design and operation is becoming a paramount concern, especially when considering scaling up to meet service demands across many cities and regions.&nbsp; ANRA Technologies is at the forefront of this discussion with their innovative Vertiport Management System, which integrates disparate data into a single platform to seamless manage the integration and operation of a vertiport.   Amit has over 20 years of aviation, telecom and wireless experience in both the federal and the commercial space. He is an engineer, a licensed pilot, following a lifelong passion in aviation and builds experimental aircrafts.   Until December 2016, he acted as the co-chair for FCC’s Technical Advisory Council (TAC) for 5G and IoT, which included ground and airborne autonomous vehicles. He was the Director of Engineering at and Principal Architect at Ericsson, providing telecom solutions to commercial customers and Federal Government, where he was the recipient of the Athena Award. He was also the Founder and CEO of a Mobile Marketing company from which he had a successful exit in 2009.   Deployed as part of the Expeditionary Strike Group, he was chief system architect for Navy 4G LTE Sea Pilot, delivering a one of a kind turn-key, secure, unmanned airborne/afloat autonomous 4G LTE Network with applications to directly support the war fighter. He architected the first ever approved classified security architecture for 4G LTE in line with NSA Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) framework, approved for operational deployment in DoD in 2012.   Amit is also an adjunct professor at the George Mason University and shares his passion for engineering by teaching in the School of Engineering and volunteers at a local Maker Space in the D.C. area.   In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Amit talks about ANRA Technologies’ Vertiport Management System and how it will help local communities and AAM providers scale up to meet demand.

How Can Vertiports Help to Scale the Operation of Air Taxis? - Amit Ganjoo, ANRA Technologies

How is drone technology making STEM education more accessible and fun for students of all background?  Rob Harvey is Executive Chairman and Cofounder of For the Win Robotics.&nbsp; For The Win Robotics fosters critical thinking and lifelong curiosity through the power of experiential STEM and computer science education.&nbsp; With its Build – Fly -&nbsp; Code program, the company has developed an innovative education system offering educators new professional development opportunities while making STEM and computer science education fun for learners. For The Win Robotics is currently used in more than 1,000 schools across the United States.&nbsp; By promoting collaboration, critical thinking and curiosity, For The Win is building essential skills that today’s students need to become the workforce of the future.&nbsp;Rob is a visionary brand builder with more than 20 years of experience elevating unique voices and guiding industry leaders to new technologies. As an executive within the music industry, he defined mainstream culture by breaking 50 #1 songs and promoting artists like Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Drake, and Eminem.   He held influential positions at two major record labels before transitioning to Spotify, where he leveraged real-time data, consumer insights, and customer feedback to champion new business models and elevate brands globally. In the process, Rob helped redefine the record industry as we know it today.  Rob’s ability to amplify brands and identify gaps in the market led him to pivot to education, where he recognized a need for better STEM and computer science-based education technology. As executive chairman, CEO and cofounder of For The Wine Robotics, he pioneered the Build - Fly - Code program and released a first-of-its-kind curriculum to schools across the United States.&nbsp;  In 2023, For The Win unveiled Hopper, its newest drone, designed for hands-on learning and revolutionizing STEM education by providing the tools to make coding, robotics, and engineering fun and accessible for students.   Developed by a team of aerospace, education and technology experts, Hopper represents the evolution of FTW’s program.&nbsp; Hopper’s robust, reusable hardware and software is built around a closed, secure system. The drone, powered by a dual-core processor for communication and flight control, features a lens for advanced computer vision technology, including infrared and color capabilities, allowing for Wi-Fi-driven, real-time data and image information transmission. Validated through 889 Compliance, Hopper empowers educators to expand future-additional and hands-on STEM learning to all learners, including underserved communities and students of all abilities.&nbsp;   In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Rob talks about For The Win Robotics, the Hopper Drone and how new drone technology is enhancing STEM Education.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Innovating Education with New Generation Drones:  Rob Harvey, Exe Chairman and Co-Founder of For The Win Robotics

How do we take control of truly dangerous drone situation?  &nbsp;  Jeffrey Starr is Chief Marketing Officer at D-Fend Solutions.&nbsp; D-Fend Solutions is the leading global provider of cyber-takeover, counter-drone solutions for sensitive and challenging environments. By focusing on the acute drone threat, their technology enables organizations around the world to maintain full control, safety, and continuity during rogue drone incidents across complex and sensitive environments and be prepared for future threats.&nbsp; The company’s core offering, called EnforceAir, automatically executes radio frequency cyber-takeovers of rogue drones for safe landings and safe outcomes.  &nbsp;  Jeffery brings a track record of generating revenue and building market leadership through visionary business strategies.&nbsp; Prior to joining D-Fend Solutions, Jeffrey served as CMO and in executive roles at AlgoSec, Cellebrite, Verisk 3E, Magic Software Enterprises and Amdocs. Jeffrey also served as General Partner at Mission Ventures VC fund and as an Analyst at Booz Allen.  &nbsp;  In this edition of the Drone Radio Show, Jeffrey talks about D-Fend Solutions and ways the company is helping organizations throughout the world create safer skies by controlling dangerous drone situations.  &nbsp;

Controlling The Drone - Jeffrey Starr, CMO at D-Fend Solutions

George Matus is CEO and founder of Teal Drones, a  trailblazing U.S. company at the forefront of innovative drone technology for both commercial and military applications. With advancements in air control, data processing, and mapping technologies, Teal is revolutionizing operations for the military, public safety, and various commercial sectors.&nbsp; Its flagship Teal 2 Drone is a model of security, intelligence, and high performance that meets the stringent standards of the U.S. defense industry.   George started Teal Drones in 2014 when he was only a sophomore in high school. By 2023, he was named CTO of Red Cat Holdings, the parent company of Teal Drones. Red Cat is an end-to-end drone solutions company based in the United States that is accelerating the future of aerial robotics to transform the way we live and work.   In Episode 412, I interviewed Michael Robbins, Chief Advocacy Officer at the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International or AUVSI. In that podcast, we explored the importance of U.S. competitiveness in the drone industry.&nbsp; In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, builds on this theme by highlighting the ascent of Teal Drones as a manufacturing leader and sheds light on the expanding opportunities for American drone companies in the global market.

The Rise of American Drone Makers: Leading the Global Market: George Matus, CEO and Founder Teal Drones

In this episode, producer Elodie Maillot in Paris reviews the career of mercurial Algerian-French singer, composer and activist Rachid Taha, who died in 2018. With remembrances from producers Steve Hillage, Justin Adams and others, the podcast brings to life a singular life and musical career. Taha merged rock and rai music, love poetry and fierce critique, gentle sensitivity and world-weary toughness. Today, his impact continues to grow. And even though the artist is now gone - his musical ghost is hunting our memories.

Planet Afropop - Rachid Taha: African Punk Ghost

How are advanced drone technologies revolutionizing global delivery systems?&nbsp;  For that question, we head to San Francisco to speak with Keenan Wyrobek and Juan Albanell of Zipline.&nbsp; Zipline is  the world’s first drone delivery service whose focus is delivering life-saving medicine to the most difficult to reach places on earth. The company designs, manufactures and operates the world’s largest autonomous logistics system. Used every day by businesses, governments and consumers, Zipline’s fully electric and autonomous drones reduce delivery emissions by up to 97% compared to gas cars. It has flown more than 70 million autonomous miles, and has delivered millions of items including more than 15 million vaccine doses.   Keenan Wyrobek  is co-founder and head of product and engineering at Zipline. &nbsp;Prior to Zipline, Keenan was a co-founder and director of the Personal Robotics Program at Willow Garage. He was involved in launching and growing the Robot Operating System (ROS) and shipping PR2, the first personal robot for software R&amp;D. Keenan has spent years delivering high tech products to market across a range of fields including consumer electronics, sportswear, and medical robotics.   Juan Albanell is Head of System Engineering, where he has led engineering efforts to scale up Platform 1 across the world and is now focused on getting Platform 2 from prototype to first customer releases. Prior to Zipline, Juan led a small team at Apple working on taking emerging sensing and display technologies from lab bench to automated production lines. He has dedicated his engineering career on taking early stage concepts to reliable customer products through a focus on test and automation.   In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Keenan and Juan talk about Zipline, its long-distance Platform 1 delivery service and the company’s plans to scale short-distance Platform 2 home delivery services.   &nbsp;

Flying Forward: Zipline and the Future of Drone Deliveries: Keenan Wyrobek and Juan Albanell of Zipline

How effective are drones in monitoring coastal areas?  Mathieu Johnsson is CEO and Founder of Marble, a drone services company in England that provides maritime monitoring using fleets of high speed drones.&nbsp; The drones are used to monitor coastal areas for illegal fishing,  drug trafficking, and human trafficking, providing real time data to suit clients needs.  Mathieu Johnsson's passion for aerospace began in childhood, influenced by his family of aviators and skydivers. During his aerospace engineering studies, Mat focused intensely on the future of aviation, from flying wings to hydrogen aircraft, often prioritizing personal projects over formal lectures. His dedication continued into his professional career at Airbus, where he converted his workshop into a makeshift bedroom to devote more time to building aircraft. His innovative work on 3D printing drones led him to a role in Airbus's secretive "Future Projects Office." Eventually, Mat’s ambition to drive change led him to found Marble, where for the past eight years, his company has been developing technology to deploy drones at sea on a large scale.&nbsp;  In this episode of the Drone Radio Show, Mat talks about Marble and the use of drones to monitor coastal areas for a variety of marine situations.

Drones Over Water:  Marble’s Quest To Transform Coastal Monitoring - Mathieu Johnsson, CEO & Founder Marble

South Africa is one of the biggest dance music nations, and now it seems like the whole world is dancing along to its amapiano (piano/yanos) beats, a genre that blends its kwaito roots with house, jazz and its signature log drum.

Afropop Worldwide first explored amapiano’s origins and growing popularity in October 2020. Since then, the genre has seen explosive growth outside of South Africa. A combination of factors, such as: a fresh unique sound, social media, the African diaspora, hard work, and a bit of luck at the right time, has put Amapiano on the global stage. 

Amapiano is proving to be a genre that has both depth and breadth, but is it here to stay? We tackle this question, and explore how this homegrown sound is winning over the hearts of audiences across the world. We also speak to two of its rising stars: Teno Afrika and Luxury SA.

That’s all in this episode, Amapiano to the World. Produced by DJ Kix. 


APWW #867

Drones Over India - The Story of IdeaForge: Ankit Mehta, CEO

Drone Radio Show

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