ModalAI, Inc. VOXL® 2 Announced as Finalist for AUVSI XCELLENCE Awards

Awards ceremony to be held at AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2023 in Denver, CO.

San Diego, CA. — ModalAI’s VOXL 2 autopilot has been named as a finalist in the Hardware & Systems Design category of the XCELLENCE Awards by the Association for Uncrewed Vehicles Systems International (AUVSI). ModalAI was selected from a pool of accomplished applicants as one of several finalists. Winners will be announced at AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2023 on May 8-11 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, CO.

VOXL 2 is a Blue UAS Framework 2.0 autopilot that was created to enable the next generation of smaller, smarter, and safer drones. At only 16 grams, VOXL 2 boasts more AI computing than any other autopilot. It’s a modular, open system that combines a real-time flight controller, 8-core CPU up to 15 TOPs, Qualcomm QRB5165, seven image sensors, and is assembled in the USA. VOXL 2 accelerates the development of commercial drone and robot solutions to realize the benefits of autonomous AI and 5G. In less than one year, ModalAI's VOXL 2 has enabled more than 200 UAV integrators towards built-in-US, state-of-the-art functionality without sacrificing weight or cost. 

“This year, XPONENTIAL is all about designing a shared plan for the future of autonomy,” said Brian Wynne, President and CEO of AUVSI. “There's no better place to announce the 2023 XCELLENCE award finalists. Together, they're redefining what's possible with uncrewed and robotic technology.”

The AUVSI XCELLENCE Awards honor individuals and organizations that are innovators in the uncrewed systems industry, with a demonstrated commitment to advancing autonomy, leading and promoting safe adoption of uncrewed systems, and developing programs that use these technologies to save lives and improve society. Winners will be announced at XPONENTIAL, which offers a broad-based and balanced educational program brimming with cutting-edge content and inspirational insights, ranging from policy implications and technical challenges to use cases and best practices across vertical markets and everything in between. 

“VOXL 2 was created to give the drone industry access to a powerful, smart platform that’s easy for developers to integrate in order to enable autonomous use cases across enterprise and government industries,” said Chad Sweet, CEO and co-founder of ModalAI, “We’re thrilled to be shortlisted for the AUVSI XCELLENCE awards and stay committed to advancing the U.S. drone industry with our NDAA-compliant VOXL autopilots.”

For media registration for XPONENTIAL, click here or contact Chelsie Jeppson at cjeppson@auvsi.org. For more information about XPONENTIAL and the XCELLENCE Awards, visit xponential.org. 

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About ModalAI

ModalAI® accelerates development of smaller, smarter and safer drones and robots with SWAP-optimized Blue UAS Framework autopilots built in the U.S.A. From home and business security to retail and government applications, the company’s highly-integrated AI-powered modules empower a variety of industries to utilize aerial and ground autonomous navigation systems that communicate on 4G and 5G cellular networks. 

About AUVSI

SAN DIEGO, April 25, 2022 – ModalAI, Inc, a Blue UAS Framework manufacturer of autonomous drone and robot technology, announced today the availability of the most capable autopilot in the world, VOXL 2, powered by the Qualcomm® Flight RB5 5G platform. At only 16 grams, VOXL 2 boasts more AI computing than any other autopilot. VOXL 2 integrates a PX4 real-time flight controller with an 8-core CPU up to 15 TOPs, seven image sensors, TDK® IMUs and barometer, 5G connectivity and is assembled in the USA. The new computing platform accelerates the development of commercial drone and robot solutions to realize the benefits of autonomous AI and 5G. VOXL 2 is available immediately for $1,199.99 at www.modalai.com/voxl-2.  

VOXL 2 enables autonomy and communications for indoor and outdoor drones and robots with vision-based SLAM and AI for movement, designed specifically for GPS-denied, autonomous UAVs with obstacle avoidance. With a 5G add-on, VOXL 2 enhances mission critical navigation, including beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) to support safer, more reliable flight. 

“VOXL 2 creates a major leap in computing capability for the UAS industry”, said Chad Sweet, CEO and co-founder of ModalAI, Inc. “From developing the first Blue UAS Framework autopilot, VOXL, to unlocking 5G skies with the Qualcomm Flight RB5 5G Platform, this launch is an important milestone to enable the next generation of smaller, smarter, and safer drones.”

VOXL 2 Advances the U.S. Drone Industry 

VOXL 2 is the outcome of the Blue sUAS 2.0 initiative started by the Department of Defense (DoD) Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and is FY20 NDAA Section 848 compliant. VOXL 2 addresses supply chain concerns around unreliable, unsecure components from foreign manufacturers. 

“As Qualcomm Technologies diversifies with new opportunities powering the connected intelligent edge, we are committed to providing on-device intelligence and premium connectivity drone solutions that will unleash innovation across industries. We are proud to collaborate with ModalAI to scale our industry leading solutions and congratulate the team on the launch of the VOXL 2, which will continue to support innovation across robotics and drones.” said Dev Singh, senior director of business development and general manager of robotics, drones and intelligent machines at Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

VOXL 2 is Easy to Integrate

VOXL 2 was created with accessibility in mind. In addition to partnering with the DoD, ModalAI serves developers and researchers all over the world. Over a dozen partners are already integrating VOXL 2 in their newest drone and robot fleets. 

"Auterion OS is at the forefront of driving the drone industry towards a unified standard that will allow for interoperability between enterprise drones and services. We are pleased to collaborate with ModalAI to make Auterion OS available on VOXL 2. Developers looking to build solutions for enterprise drone users with global and open standards using a common infrastructure can run Auterion OS on VOXL 2.”

“As autonomy in drones and robotics becomes standardized, it is necessary to have the highest performing sensor technology to increase accuracy and stability over time. Inclusion of TDK’s sensors and drivers on the Qualcomm Flight RB5 5G platform brings the world’s most accurate and highest performing MEMS IMUs and Pressure technology alongside Qualcomm Technologies industry leading QRB5165 solutions to drive ModalAI’s VOXL 2 autopilot to the forefront for innovation and technology advancement.” said Anson Yeganegi, Sr.

“ModalAI is unlocking the barriers for advanced robotics workflows with the VOXL 2,” said Ramón Roche, Program Manager, Dronecode Foundation, “The PX4 Autopilot runs natively on the QRB5165 at the heart of the VOXL 2, enabling adopters with vast flexibility from a feature-rich open source stack”

About ModalAI, Inc.

ModalAI® accelerates development of smaller, smarter and safer drones and robots with SWAP-optimized Blue UAS Framework autopilots built in the U.S.A. From home and business security to retail and government applications, the company’s highly-integrated AI-powered modules empower a variety of industries to utilize aerial and ground autonomous navigation systems that communicate on 4G and 5G cellular networks. 

Based in San Diego, California, ModalAI was formed by former Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. employees in 2018 and builds on their prior research and development in the drone and robotic markets. ModalAI’s VOXL product line helps manufacturers and independent builders get to market quickly and affordably. For more information, visit www.modalai.com. 

World’s First Micro-development Drone, ModalAI Seeker, Provides Autonomous Navigation Indoor and Outdoor

SAN DIEGO, Nov. 2, 2021 – ModalAI® officially released two new products today that help developers create smaller, smarter and safer robots and drones quickly and easily – the VOXL CAM™ perception engine and the Seeker™ micro-development drone, the world’s first micro-development drone optimized for development of both indoor and outdoor autonomous navigation. Both new products are now on sale at modalai.com.

The VOXL CAM is an all-in-one compute and perception engine that makes it easier to develop smaller, smarter and safer drones, robots and Internet of Things (IoT) devices with GPS-denied navigation, depth mapping, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) flight control and cellular connectivity. The credit card-sized VOXL CAM powers the Seeker micro-development drone, ModalAI’s newest and smallest drone to date. 

“The VOXL CAM platform provides smarter perception and safer navigation for autonomous devices beyond drones. For commercial and industrial developers and researchers who want powerful perception and autonomy, the VOXL CAM’s small form factor and modularity make it easy to mount onto drones, robots and wearable IoT devices,” said Chad Sweet, CEO, ModalAI. “It condenses the computing power of seven PCBs and four concurrent image sensors into one compact, modular platform.”

VOXL CAM Perception Engine Offers Smart Computing and Safe Indoor Navigation, All in One Small Package 

Built on the foundation of the VOXL Flight Deck, the VOXL CAM is a single printed circuit board (PCB) that easily attaches to robots, drones or IoT devices to activate autonomy for a breadth of applications. 

The VOXL CAM perception engine includes the integrated Qualcomm® Snapdragon 821 chipset, which enables GPS-denied navigation, depth mapping, object detection, obstacle avoidance and Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM). 

The VOXL CAM perception engine has four image sensor concurrencies onboard, including:

• Time of flight (ToF) for indoor depth mapping
• Stereo pair image sensors for outdoor depth mapping 
• Tracking image sensor for Visual-Inertial Odometry (VIO) localization

It pre-integrates a PX4 drone flight controller, ModalAI’s Flight Core™. In addition, it has three onboard Inertial Measurement Units (IMU) and a barometer for controlling flight height.

Seeker Micro-Development Drone is Ideal for Indoor and Outdoor Autonomous Navigation

The Seeker micro-development drone has a small form factor and enhanced visual capabilities, making it optimal for drones to safely and autonomously navigate tight spaces indoors and outdoors. The base weight of the VOXL CAM onboard the Seeker is just 57.5 grams and 87 grams with the flight controller and modem installed. It can also operate on the 4G cellular network, depending on the configuration.

“The Seeker drone is the smallest reference drone ModalAI has designed to date. It’s a true micro-drone with powerful computing in a small form factor perfect for navigating GPS-denied, tight spaces that people can’t reach,” said Sweet. “Its micro-design unlocks a plethora of use cases for developers ranging from asset inspection to mission-critical.”

Both products are built on Blue UAS Framework components VOXL Flight and Flight Core. ModalAI’s autopilots are Assembled in America and compliant with the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (NDAA 2020).

Order the VOXL CAM perception engine from ModalAI starting at $999.99 or the Seeker micro-development drone starting at $2,999 at modalai.com.

About ModalAI

ModalAI accelerates the development of smaller, smarter and safer drones with SWAP-optimized Blue UAS Framework autopilots built in the U.S.A. From home and business security to retail and government applications, the company’s highly-integrated AI-powered modules empower a variety of industries to utilize aerial and ground autonomous navigation systems that communicate on 4G and 5G cellular networks. 

Based in San Diego, California, ModalAI spun out of Qualcomm® in 2018 and leverages over five years of prior research and development in the drone and robotic markets. For more information visit www.modalai.com.

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