Lochie Burke and Jack Cullen want to change the negative stigma attached to drones and are doing a good job of pitching their case.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The pair co-founded Lake Macquarie-based company JAR Aerospace in January and have a bold five-year plan to change the face of aeronautics and aerospace engineering in Australia.
Their ideas are gaining traction.
They have successfully pitched their way into the NSW final of Pitchfest, a nationwide contest offering $100,000 in prizes for innovative company ideas.
The state final will be staged in Dubbo in July.
If the locals are successful they will pitch to the nation at Wagga Wagga in August.
“We’ve set out almost to redefine Australian aerospace, to try to put it on the map a little bit because at the moment, there’s not a lot going on,” Mr Cullen said.
Their pitch is about a prototype of an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), which Mr Cullen said is “essentially a drone” but more like a helicopter and could be used in a variety of fields including medical, agricultural and mining.
“The beauty of this product is it is applicable to a number of industries and also customisable,” Mr Cullen said.
“You’re looking at agricultural applications, mining applications, search and rescue applications, defence and military, potential construction as well; there’s a number of pretty exciting avenues you can take this technology to.
“We work very hard with ensuring safety and redundancy, which is something that we saw was a real shortfall in this industry.
“On top of that we have a flight computer that can harness and utilise any software technology in the world.”
The pair feel their company is in a “really exciting space” in terms of possibilities for their product, which they say could also be used as pathology transport between hospitals and medical centres.
“The goal eventually is bigger programs, whether that’s rocket engines or bigger unmanned aerial systems … human carrying unmanned vehicles as well, that’s the next five years for us,” Mr Cullen said.
“Hopefully this will develop and you’ll see us breaking into space soon enough.”
Newcastle robotics expert Luke De Bono is also through to the state final.
- Visit regionalpitchfest.com