CASCADE TWP. — The first cohort of companies to receive grants through an air travel technology development program have revealed the fruits of their labor, including a self-driving wheelchair, an advanced flying security camera and a complete 3D model of Gerald R. Ford International Airport.
Awardees in the Ford Launchpad for Innovative Technologies and Entrepreneurship (FLITE) program displayed their technologies at the Grand Rapids airport today.
“We really want to do more than just connect people and packages to their destinations,” airport CEO Tory Richardson said today at a celebration of the grantees’ progress.
The airport in January partnered with the Michigan Economic Development Corp. and Southwest Airlines to launch FLITE — a joint effort to provide funding and a live testing environment for companies on the forefront of air travel technology solutions. FLITE grants are designed to boost companies’ work on improving safety and security, optimizing workforce and infrastructure resources, providing timelier, more accurate data and improving the guest experience.
The MEDC provided $150,000 in the first round of grants through the Michigan Mobility Funding Platform.
“FLITE’s goal is to add value in a multifaceted way,” said MEDC Technology Activation Manager Charlie Tyson.
According to Tyson, the grants are an opportunity to not only support emerging companies, but also to solve some of the problems airports are facing and spur innovation in Michigan.
Aurrigo, WHILL and Sunflower Labs were selected from more than 20 applicants to receive the first round of grants.
Aurrigo, a U.K.-based company focused on automated vehicle development, has created a digital model of the Grand Rapids airport’s airside operations, including each roadway, intersection and type of vehicle. In partnership with airport planning staff, Aurrigo’s team of simulation engineers and project management specialists used real-time data on fleet…