Vantage Robotics
RotorDrone|July/ August 2019

NESTLED ON THE EASTERN SHORE OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY is the city of San Leandro, California. In recent years, this suburban town of roughly 90,000 people has become a growing hub for tech start-ups.

David Daly
Vantage Robotics

NESTLED ON THE EASTERN SHORE OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY is the city of San Leandro, California. In recent years, this suburban town of roughly 90,000 people has become a growing hub for tech start-ups. One of the most exciting companies that make up the technological tapestry of this city is Vantage Robotics. The company’s signature drone, Snap, has been used by CNN, Fox, Tribune Media, C-SPAN, numerous law-enforcement agencies, the U.S. Army, Stanford University, a big-three automaker, and (of course) consumers. In addition to the success of Snap, the company pioneered the industry in creating a proven path toward Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) flight-over-people waivers.

Founded in 2013 by CEO Tobin Fisher and CTO Joe van Niekerk, Vantage Robotics is off to an impressive start. Stanford- and Yale-trained engineers makeup the core of this uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) business. Members of the team have helped win the DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) Grand Challenge, set world records in aviation, developed micro fuel-cell power systems, and even helped prove Albert Einstein’s theories. In 2017, this talented team won top honors in Richard Branson’s Extreme Tech Challenge, a competition designed to showcase innovations and entrepreneurs creating technologies that will benefit humanity. In April 2019, Vantage Robotics was one of six companies selected by the U.S. Army to develop a short-range reconnaissance drone. The Army is spending $11 million spread across the companies to build a rucksack-portable drone, with prototypes due by November 2019.

Given these fantastic achievements, I had to learn more about this company and its future, and recently I had the privilege of visiting the company’s headquarters.

This story is from the July/ August 2019 edition of RotorDrone.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the July/ August 2019 edition of RotorDrone.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM ROTORDRONEView All
Windracers Mail Delivery
RotorDrone

Windracers Mail Delivery

With its partner Windracers Ltd., Royal Mail has become the first UK parcel carrier to deliver mail to a UK island in a 70-mile, beyond-line-of-sight, autonomous flight to the Scilly Isles. Tasked to better connect the islands’ remote communities, a consortium including Royal Mail, Windracers Ltd., DronePrep, University of Southampton, Excalibur Healthcare Services, and Consortiq Limited is funded by UK Research and Innovation.

time-read
1 min  |
August/ September 2021
Counting Penguins
RotorDrone

Counting Penguins

Counting penguins is harder than it sounds. With freezing rain, snow, and chilling winds that limit the flight windows for the surveys, it takes scientists using three full days to map the location of 300,000 nesting pairs of Adélie penguins on Antarctica’s Cape Crozier.

time-read
2 mins  |
August/ September 2021
A Drone Double Play
RotorDrone

A Drone Double Play

Beach cleanup and a historic bridge

time-read
10+ mins  |
August/ September 2021
Understanding Aviation Sectional Charts
RotorDrone

Understanding Aviation Sectional Charts

Signs and symbols every remote pilot needs to know

time-read
10 mins  |
August/ September 2021
10 TOP JOBS
RotorDrone

10 TOP JOBS

Fields where drones are taking off!

time-read
10+ mins  |
August/ September 2021
AUTONOMOUS RESUPPLY IN A CONGESTED BATTLESPACE
RotorDrone

AUTONOMOUS RESUPPLY IN A CONGESTED BATTLESPACE

Can autonomous drones deliver supplies to troops in an active firefight? DroneUp recently partnered with a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Allied Command Transformation (ACT) Joint Force Development (JFD) exercise to find out.

time-read
3 mins  |
February/ March 2021
IMPROVE YOUR DRONE PHOTOGRAPHY
RotorDrone

IMPROVE YOUR DRONE PHOTOGRAPHY

10 must-know Lightroom tips

time-read
10+ mins  |
February/ March 2021
RotorDrone

UAS TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT The Key to the Future of Drones

In 2012, Congress passed the FAA Modernization and Reform Act, which established a deadline for the agency: achieve full integration of drones into the airspace by 2015. As the calendar rolls over into 2021, this begs an obvious question: “Are we there yet?”

time-read
10+ mins  |
February/ March 2021
RotorDrone

FLYING FOR A LIVING

A professional UAS operator on what it takes to be successful

time-read
6 mins  |
February/ March 2021
RotorDrone

ON THE WING

This bird-like drone is incredibly agile and efficient

time-read
2 mins  |
February/ March 2021