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Fall 2024 GRASP SFI: Tony Samaritano, Verge Aero, “Building the Drone Show Industry”
October 2 at 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
This will be a hybrid event with in-person attendance in Levine 307 and virtual attendance on Zoom.
ABSTRACT
In this talk, I will discuss how we engineered the foundation of the drone show industry, creating a new form of entertainment that rivals traditional fireworks. Our journey began at Pennovation, where we designed and tested our initial multi-drone system, which helped us navigate the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
I will delve into the development of a scalable, centralized control architecture for robotic agents, enabling the safe operation of more than ten thousand drones globally. The transition from prototyping to scalable manufacturing required the tight integration of hardware and software, including the implementation of an extensive IEEE 802.15.4 network stack on an RTOS, and advanced flight planning software.
Safety was paramount; sensor redundancy and reliable radio communications were crucial to creating a secure drone show system. I will also explore how balancing engineering and business imperatives—through first-principles thinking and a customer-centric approach—enabled us to navigate trade-offs among cost, speed, and performance effectively.
Attendees will gain practical insights into simplifying complex systems, making strategic trade-offs, and employing rapid iteration to transform technical innovation into a viable market product. This talk offers valuable perspectives for engineers interested in scalable robotic systems and academics exploring the intersection of technology and entrepreneurship, demonstrating how aligning engineering excellence with entrepreneurial vision makes success achievable.
Tony Samaritano
Verge Aero
Tony Samaritano is the Co-founder and Vice President of Flight Operations at Verge Aero, pioneering accessible drone shows globally. He holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Rowan University.
Driven by his passion for flight and emerging technologies, Tony has earned multiple patents building autonomous flight systems and led Verge Aero in developing the first commercially available, vertically integrated drone show system, with over 10,000 drones shipped worldwide. His innovative work led Verge Aero to win the Golden Buzzer on America’s Got Talent, showcasing their technology on a global stage, including performances for President Biden.
Specializing in systems architecture, control systems, and software engineering, Tony focuses on translating complex robotics into user-friendly products through a customer-centric approach. From 2017 through the COVID-19 pandemic, Verge Aero developed its core technology at Pennovation, significantly accelerating the pace of their system development.
Tony is dedicated to making advanced robotic systems accessible to the masses, demonstrating how engineering excellence, when paired with user-focused design, can make it possible for anyone to design and deploy safe, stunning drone shows quickly and without technical expertise.