Purdue@WestGate to host Autonomous Day 2.0 on Tuesday, March 1

February 21, 2022

News Release February 22, 2022 Odon, IN Tech-minded residents in southern Indiana can get a glimpse next Tuesday of some of the work and research being conducted by innovators from industry, government, and universities at the WestGate Academy in Odon, next to Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane. Purdue@Westgate is hosting its Indiana Autonomous Day 2.0. The event includes live technology demonstrations of hands-free, driverless machines in action. “Autonomous systems are a rapidly growing technology space which is critical to our competitiveness economically as well as in national security,” said Jarad King, Director of Engagement, NSWC Crane. “Events like this are instrumental in developing our competitive edge.” Purdue says several startup companies will showcase their projects related to artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, and Internet of Things (IoT). Students from four universities will present their latest research as they compete for cash prizes in poster sessions during the event. Attendees will have the opportunity to help score student research during the competition. 'The Purdue@WestGate team is thrilled to bring back such a successful event. The 2020 event drew a crowd of 150+ attendees in the academic institution, industry and defense spaces, and we expect even more this year,' said Samantha Nelson, program manager at Purdue@Westgate. 'Our goal is to promote startup technologies and capabilities within the autonomous industry, and create opportunities and collaborations between higher education, Indiana businesses and the national security industry. We aim to show off the fun and interesting side of autonomous research with a mix of live demos, poster sessions and panel discussions.' This event includes a Tesla test drive, drone races and demonstrations, university poster sessions, a panel on autonomous vehicle capabilities, other presentations, and a happy hour for company networking. “We are excited to demonstrate Pierce Aerospace’s Remote ID capabilities alongside our friends at DroneDek, KBR, and Vayu,” said Aaron Pierce, CEO of Pierce Aerospace. “Remote ID is critical for commercial drone delivery. In this joint demonstration our combined team will get to show how dual use-built technology works with both commercial and US Air Force funded systems during Aountomous Day 2.0.”   Click here to view the schedule, full list of speakers, companies and more.   Purdue@WestGate is a regional partner supporting and connecting startups, industry, universities, and the DoD, including hosting regular webinars that dive into topics within the defense industry, entrepreneurship, innovation, and personal development. Visit EVENTS | WestGate (westgate-academy.com) to view a full calendar of upcoming events, including startups and defense organizations driving hypersonic, AI and cybersecurity innovation.