{"id":568542,"date":"2023-11-21T08:00:56","date_gmt":"2023-11-21T13:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.therobotreport.com\/?p=568542"},"modified":"2023-11-27T14:00:44","modified_gmt":"2023-11-27T19:00:44","slug":"drones-robotics-ai-summit-new-york-heralds-growing-automation-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.therobotreport.com\/drones-robotics-ai-summit-new-york-heralds-growing-automation-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"New York Drones & Robotics AI Summit heralds growing automation industry"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"fVC

ffVC hosted the Drones & Robotics AI Summit in New York. Source: Robert Wright Photographs<\/p><\/div>\n

The Big Apple is the center of the East Coast innovation corridor, which stretches north to Boston and Canada and south to Washington, D.C., and North Carolina’s Research Triangle. On Nov. 8, more than 200 leaders within the drone, robotics, and artificial intelligence ecosystem gathered at the Drones & Robotics AI Summit 2023 in New York to network, ideate, and demonstrate innovative technologies.<\/p>\n

The plenum of speakers also included numerous government officials promoting innovation and technology investments. The summit, put on by ff Venture Capital<\/a> and Genius New York<\/a>, proved once and for all that mechatronics has a home in the Empire State, rivaling even California\u2019s Silicon Valley.<\/p>\n

Inaugurating the summit, my partner and ffVC founder John Frankel reminded the audience that there is really nothing new under the sun, as the ancient Greeks created an automate therapaenis, <\/em>a robotic servant<\/a> in the 3rd century BCE.<\/p>\n

NYPD demonstrates public safety drones<\/h2>\n
\"The

The NYPD demonstrates a drone. Credit: Robert Wright Photographs<\/p><\/div>\n

The Drones & Robotics AI Summit program quickly accelerated into the 21st century with Capt. Michael Gulinello of the New York City Police Department\u2019s Drones & Robotics unit. He showcased more than 20 use cases of uncrewed aerial systems (UASes) recently deployed against active shooters, shark attacks, and crowd control. <\/p>\n

Gulinello’s team also parked a UAS command vehicle outside the event, enabling attendees to witness live demonstrations in the heart of Times Square. The captain said he looks forward to the day when robots will be ubiquitous in policing, with the public having confidence in its ability to protect their privacy and safety.<\/p>\n

The NYPD\u2019s strategic command center that operates drone fleets falls under the oversight of New York City\u2019s chief technology officer, Matthew Fraser<\/a>. At the summit, I had an opportunity to sit down and speak with Fraser about his new initiatives to partner with startups and private capital.<\/p>\n

New York seeks innovative solutions to urban problems<\/h2>\n

The CTO and civil servant has spent more than 17 years leading information technologies across city agencies, including the Department of Buildings, the Department of Environmental Protection, and the NYPD. Fraser said his experiences informed him as he launched the SmartCities Testbed<\/a> for startups looking to apply their inventions to urban problems, such as using drones for building exterior inspections or computer vision for traffic monitoring.<\/p>\n

Fraser encouraged the more than 100 startups gathered to apply. His approach to inviting entrepreneurs to shake up established agencies is also present in the new AI Action Plan<\/a>, which that lays out a clear path to integrating machine learning technologies into the fabric of the nation\u2019s largest metropolitan area.<\/p>\n

In Fraser’s words, AI could augment social services by providing a safety net to the most vulnerable citizens, ensuring that no one falls through the cracks and that they can access the full benefits that they are entitled to receive. This thinking follows the recent statements by his boss, Mayor Eric Adams.<\/p>\n

\u201cArtificial intelligence is one of the most impactful technological advances of our time,” stated the mayor. “While AI has the potential to improve services and processes across our government, we must also be mindful of its associated risks. With the release of our AI Action Plan, the first-of-its-kind for a major U.S. city, we are cementing our commitment to this emerging technology\u2019s responsible use and ensuring that we are deploying the right tools in the right ways.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the report, the findings used information gathered by 18 city agencies with the goal of harnessing \u201cthe power of AI for good.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Matt

Matt Fraser, CTO of New York City (left), and Oliver Mitchell of ffVC have a fireside chat. Credit: Robert Wright Photographs<\/p><\/div>\n

Public sector looks for private partners<\/h2>\n

Attendees of the Drones & Robotics AI Summit also heard from the federal government — specifically, the U.S. Department of Defense through its partner, the National Security Innovation Network (NSIN<\/a>). The panel included:<\/p>\n