In early October, IQ Motion Control attended AUVSI Xponential 2020! AUVSI, or Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, is the world’s largest non profit organization that pushed the UAV and robotics industries forward. Every year they host the world’s largest event for unmanned and autonomous systems. This year, however, it was virtual.

Ever since the onset of the pandemic, companies and organizations have tried to continue their annual operations as normally as they can. IQ was fortunate enough to close a funding round before the pandemic hit, so IQ didn’t face immediate financial stress. That said, trying to grow a business (as one does after closing a funding round) was challenging because many potential customers froze their budgets and we couldn’t visit these companies in-person for demos.

AUVSI was a major opportunity for IQ to build brand recognition and begin conversations with potential partners. The show was initially set to occur at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center on May 4-7. However, due to the severity of the Covid-19 situation they postponed it to October 5-8 as a fully virtual event. Overall, this was a great decision by AUVSI for both health concerns and the fact that most companies had figured out how to operate in this new world by October, which definitely was not the case in May. Although the conference had never been hosted virtually before, AUVSI made sure to make the event as engaging and educational as possible.

IQ attended the event as an exhibitor and also hosted a roundtable discussion to introduce their newest product, the Vertiq 6806. As an exhibitor, IQ had a virtual booth that was accessible through a simple search or through the XPO Hall tab. Individuals, or organizations could visit our booth and chat with us, just like they would in person. Due to the simplicity of the digital page, we were able to converse with everyone that visited us with ease. Additionally, in order to network and engage with people, AUVSI created a connection system, similar to that of LinkedIn. Individuals were able to connect with anyone they wanted, and could start a conversation through a simple message. This allowed for people to engage with presenters and high ranked officials easily.

Another perk of the virtual platform was the ability for exhibitors to create roundtable discussions. Roundtables were video forums that were accessible to exhibitors and sponsors, you could either join just to see what it was about or stay and talk to others about the designated topic! IQ held a roundtable called “Advanced Propulsion Systems” which discussed and presented their latest drone and robotics module, the Vertiq 6806 and their under-actuated propulsion system. The roundtable was successful and allowed our founders, Jon Broome and Matt Piccoli to engage with a few different companies and get the “face to face” interactions that were otherwise missing from the event.

Despite the delays and unique circumstances, IQ gained new relationships, industry knowledge and traction from AUVSI Xponential. Crowd Supply is geared primarily towards makers, while we use AUVSI for commercial sales opportunities. IQ hopes that commercial drone and robotics companies, along with individual makers will both embrace the most advanced motor control technology.

Look for us in Atlanta next year, May 3-6, for AUVSI Xponential 2021!