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Orlando defense firms return to ‘dynamic’ I/ITSEC

Marco Santana
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Orlando defense firms return to ‘dynamic’ I/ITSEC

A look at a color-coded map of the I/ITSEC show floor distributed by the Orlando Economic Partnership shows quite a bit of Orange on it.

That’s the color that designates a Central Florida-based company.

Although post-pandemic uncertainty in some international and U.S. companies helps partially explain the high rate of local booths, it’s still a good sign that Orlando’s tech community is adopting one of its most-important industries.

“The exciting thing is seeing more local companies that are here building really exciting technology,” said Daryl Roy, CEO of 3D Media. “Whether it’s hardware, software or auxiliary pieces of technology, to see so many with great ideas at this level makes me pretty proud of this ecosystem.”

3D Media is one of the region’s most-recent success stories, having expanded its business into Orlando in April.

At the time, Roy said he wanted to bring the company closer to the region because of its robust ecosystem.

This week, his company gets to see that depth for the first time in person.

“It has been dynamic,” said Roy, whose company did attend the virtual I/ITSEC event last year. “We have seen a broad range of attendees, whether its potential partners, clients or those who want to learn more about the technology.”

The Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference, commonly referred to as I/ITSEC, draws some of the world’s largest businesses.

Although the conference was held virtually last year, in 2019 it drew more than 17,400 registered attendees to Orlando.

That number will likely be smaller this year but those in attendance have said the meetings have been more productive.

“You can’t believe how much you miss it until it’s gone,” said Henry L. Phillips IV, director of learning technologies for SoarTech, which has an office in Orlando. “There really is no replacement for this experience and the importance of being with all of the right people.”

Perhaps more to the point, the appreciation level for what has become a longstanding trade show has shot up because of a one-year, COVID-drirven hiatus, some said.

“People are not taking this trade show for granted,” said Dawn Haulter, global marketing manager for Orlando-based The DiSTi Corporation. “It’s a lot more people talking business. It has made people appreciate these types of events.”

IAAPA’s return fuels energy in theme-park tech

Marco Santana
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IAAPA’s return fuels energy in theme-park tech
IAAPA in 2021 included a ton of tech, including several booths showing off virtual reality hardware.

Walking the Orange County Convention Center floor, you could sense something different about the 2021 version of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions trade show last week.

Empty booth spaces.

More floor space designated as general dining or lounge areas than usual.

And the amusement park ride area of the floor had fewer people waiting in line than previous years.

However, the ability to do business in person helped alleviate any frustration and angst built up over a pandemic-ravaged year.

“It’s a big deal,” said Brandon Naids, CEO of Talon Simulations, which had two racing simulators set up for visitors to try out. “This is an industry in which people buy products only after they try them. It’s hard to gauge your interest in a product if you can’t experience it yourself.”

It’s a big deal. it’s hard to gauge interest in a product if you can’t experience it yourself.

Brandon Naids, Talon Simulations

IAAPA returned to the convention center after an historic one-year pause brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.

IAAPA announced that 28,000 people visitied the show floor in 2021, down about 30% from 2019.

The 2021 show featured 870 businesses filling 375,000 square feet of expo space.

Over a four-day period, it would see more than 28,000 registered attendees walk the floor, seeking deals and potential partnerships.

The 2021 turnout “is a testament to the resilience and continued growth and strength of the global attractions industry,” said Hal McEvoy, president and CEO of IAAPA in a news release following the show.

“It’s been a phenomenal week, bringing together the innovators who are moving our industry forward and building the future of attractions.”

The show had a decidedly tech-centric look to it.

Visitors tried out VR experiences that took them to a racetrack, sliding on a water slide, tossing some footballs as a quarterback or into a virtual laser tag arena.

A large area included dozens of companies showing off arcade games both in production and already available to play.

Walt Disney World gets Minecraft world, exec says at IAAPA – Orlando Tech News

A Nashville, Tenn., company’s impressive animatronic – that is, mechanical representation of a human – drew large crowds consistently the whole week.

It was all part of a marketplace that often paired sellers with buyers, in person.

Nashville’s Animax was a ‘gawkers’ dream during IAAPA 2021 last week in Orlando.

“It has been a constant flow of people,” said Steve Andersen, vice president of operations for Animax, a company that has worked with the large players like Disney, SeaWorld and Nintendo.

They debuted a new animatronic that will allow it to potentially enter a new price point.
“There have been a lot of gawkers,” Andersen said. “A lot of kids, which is why we are in this business to begin with.”

Each year, with just last year as an exception, the pulse of the theme park industry rolls through Orlando.

Some of the biggest theme park companies – yes, those companies – make news and updates at IAAPA.

Merlin Entertainment announced its forthcoming Peppe Pig Theme Park in Winter Haven would be a certified autism center.

IAAPA 2021 Expo: In pictures – Orlando Tech News

Meanwhile, Disney executive Josh D’Amaro served as a keynote speaker on Day 1 of the show.

The numbers for the 2021 version of IAAPA were down about 30 percent from 2019.

That year, there were 42,200 attendees and 1,146 exhibitors.

However, the quality of conversations seemed to have risen this year, said Chris Gray, founder of Orlando-based Skyline Attractions.

After all, he said, the business conversations included a year of pent-up interest in getting as close to normal as possible.

“It feels like it’s been an eternity but, at the same time, it’s like you have just picked up where you left off,” said Chris Gray, founder of Orlando-based Skyline Attractions. “I don’t think any of us expected this show to be what it has been.”

IAAPA 2021 Expo: In pictures

Marco Santana
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IAAPA 2021 Expo: In pictures

For the first time in two years, the International Attractions and Amusement Park Association is hosting its annual expo at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.

This is where deals start, as vendors get in front of potential customers for a full week of networking, business card exchanging and collaboration.

This show is all cutting-edge technology for rides, attractions, ticketing systems and, well, pretty much any other area of tourism – both public facing and backend – that you can think of.

On Tuesday, the expo opened its doors and you can see some real heavy virtual reality bent to this year’s event.

We will add to the gallery as the week moves forward but here are roughly 20 pics to whet your appetite.

Walt Disney World gets Minecraft world, exec says at IAAPA

Marco Santana
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Walt Disney World gets Minecraft world, exec says at IAAPA

An official Walt Disney World re-creation in the popular world of Minecraft will include new adventures, character interactions and more.

Walt Disney Company’s chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Josh D’Amaro announced the experience, which will debut Tuesday, during a keynote speech at the biggest theme park and attractions conference in the world, IAAPA.

The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions returns to Orlando this week after a one-year hiatus brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

While the conference focuses on theme parks, amusement rides and other recreational businesses, IAAPA also showcases the steadily growing technology aspect of the industry.

Walt Disney World’s debut in the Minecraft world will not be the 50-year-old company’s first foray into the popular virtual world.

The company has previously supported worlds based on the Star Wars galaxy, “Frozen” and “Toy Story.”

The Minecraft experience will include virtual autographs, a fireworks show and other special features unique to the world.

D’Amaro’s wide-ranging speech focused on how Disney expects to emerge from the pandemic along with how the unexpected stoppage gave it an opportunity to rethink some of its priorities.

“When you need to change something … it’s pretty hard to do when the train is moving as fast as it has been,” he said. “Our train came to a complete stop.”

MORE ORLANDO TECH NEWS: SPACE HACKATHON A UNIQUELY ORLANDO EVENT

D’Amaro was the highlight in a day full of educational sessions for those in the industry.

Representatives from other companies with Orlando presence, including SeaWorld and Gatorland, also helped lead seminars throughout the day.

The always popular IAAPA Expo is expected to open at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, showcasing dozens of businesses in Central Florida, allowing them to rub elbows with industry leaders.

The tourism industry was one of the hardest hit by the historic pandemic. That remained evident at the Orange County Convention Center with many people wearing masks and hand sanitizing stations set up throughout the building.

The company’s immense footprint allows it to think differently than other businesses, D’Amaro said.

“We are literally building the future and our goal is to connect with our guests and make their experience better than ever,” he said. “We can’t let ourselves get tied down to yesterday as a proxy to what we do tomorrow.”

While D’Amaro touched heavily on the company’s emergence from the pandemic, he also focused a good part of his speech on technology.

In one video, D’Amaro can be seen interacting with a roughly three-foot tall animatronic of the “Guardians of the Galaxy” character Groot.

As he walks away, D’Amaro says goodbye, to which baby Groot replies: “I am Groot.”

“We are looking at ways to bring our characters to life,” D’Amaro said. “We will need to think differently in terms of how we create the future. I see a new chapter coming.”

Space-themed hackathon has come a long way since 2014 debut

Marco Santana
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Space-themed hackathon has come a long way since 2014 debut

It would be tough for Kunal Patel to have known what he had started when the Indiegalactic Space Jam started in 2014.

But perhaps it was a sign when he walked into the hallway to take a phone call and saw a game developer’s makeshift recording studio.

He had a microphone up to another developer, who was playing the French horn.

“It sounded like John Williams was creating a film score,” Patel recalled. “It was impressive to see the effort and willingness to do big things. That stuck with me.”

Seven years after that episode, Patel is preparing for the next Indiegalactic Space Jam, which starts on Friday night at Orlando Science Center.

Patel spoke with Orlando Tech News in advance of the event, which will kick off an ambitious series of events.

TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE HERE: www.eventbrite.com/e/indie-galactic-space-jam-2021-tickets-164372321037

Q: You’re set to host this event on Friday and, like in past years, you have NASA professionals buying into what you’re trying to build. How important is that?

A: It’s extremely important. You need the professionals within the industry to share the real-world challenges they are facing. They can also validate that game developers are building something both scientifically accurate and that will solve or visualize problems. In turn, we hope space professionals walk away impressed by the group.

Q: What can the developers who attend get out of NASA’s buy in, if anything/

A: They gain an understanding of space and a problem set to solve for. Meanwhile, the space professionals leave feeling amazed. They are seeing and playing with something fun, interactive and visualized, potentially billions of dollars or decades before it’s done in real life.

Q: What’s it like when you see this event you started really grow into something useful and respected?

A: I feel very proud. Eighty percent of success is just showing up, really. But when the people that show up are bad asses, the potential for impact is great. There are businesses, people and industries that don’t know what’s right under their nose.

Q: How do game developers benefit here?

A: As a game developer, you may only have a narrow view of your skillset as entertainment experiences. But those same skills can be used to solve a problem for 10 other industries.

Q: What is it about game developers that makes this kind of event successful?

A: They truly are a special breed. They are great problem solvers that make this feel easier and faster. Rapid prototyping, iteration, that’s in a game developer’s DNA. When you bring that into other fields like space, it’s amazing the leaps that are made in one weekend. The space industry is used to long waits but you can get to 80 percent of a goal very fast with 3D games and simulations.

Orlando’s OneRail raises $9 million to leverage huge growth

Marco Santana
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Orlando’s OneRail raises $9 million to leverage huge growth

An Orlando tech company that early this summer expanded its operations into an 18,000-square-foot facility now has more money to put toward filling that office.

OneRail, which provides delivery services of all kinds for so-called “last mile” deliveries, announced that it had raised $9 million in a Series A investment round led by Ironspring Ventures.

OneRail partners with major carriers like Lyft, DoorDash and Frayt to secure delivery sources and ship bought products to their end destination.

Ty Findley, managing partner of Ironspring Ventures, a first-time investor in the company which led the round, said e-commerce’s explosion in recent years has made companise like OneRail more critical.

“Final-mile logistics has only become more critical to shippers as they face even further enhanced e-commerce customer experience expectations,” he said in a release

In the release, Findley, who will join OneRail’s board of directors, said OneRail had experienced 10 times year-over-year revenue growth.

OneRail managed to grow during the coronavirus pandemic, as it pushed more peopel to work from home and lit a charge into delivery services of all kinds.

The company has at its disposal a fleet of 7.5 million drivers across 200 major U.S. cities.

Its platform offers a smart-matching service between end customers and businesses selling goods or services.

“We are very thankful for the show of faith that Ironspring Ventures and our valued investors have placed in us as we continue to execute upon our vision of transforming final mile logistics,” OneRail Founder and CEO Bill Catania said in the release. “This next chapter is all about scale — and the infrastructure needed to execute a true omnichannel strategy.”

Among the seven firms to join the investment round, five were returning investors.

The company plans to expand its digital platform along with its customer success team.

OneRail, which in June reported a workforce of 65 people, is now at 80, with a goal of surpassing 100 by the end of the year.

Gaingels joined Ironspring Ventures as new investors in the round. The company’s current investors, including Chicago Ventures, Bullpen Capital, Las Olas Venture Capital, CreativeCo Capital and Alpine Meridian Ventures, all participated in the round.

SeedFundersOrlando invests in Space Coast healthtech firm

Marco Santana
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SeedFundersOrlando invests in Space Coast healthtech firm

An Orlando investment firm has poured nearly $200,000 into a health technology company from the Space Coast.

SeedFundersOrlando announced Monday that it had invested in Melbourne’s Kalogon, which was founded by aerospace engineers and has developed smart seating technology for those who stay seated for extended periods of time.

Seedfunders operations in Miami and St. Petersburg also participated in the round.

“The impact of pressure sores is preventable,” said Tim Balz, founder and CEO of Kalogon, while noting that the industry hasn’t advanced its technology in decades in a press release. “Our goal is nothing less than to improve the quality of life of millions of people and we are grateful for SeedFundersOrlando and their support of the mission.”

The company’s Smart Cushion is already in use at rehab centers and veterans’ hospitals in Tampa and around Central Florida.

The $195,000 from SeedFundersOrlando into Kalogon will help it grow its product, which electronically adjusts itself every few minutes to lessen pressure on the tailbone.

SeedFundersOrlando has invested in eight businesses since its creation in the third quarter of 2019.

Included among those are Blue Halo Biomedical in Winter Park and both ViewStub and Miventure in Orlando.

“Tim and his team are aerospace engineers that have brought the ‘Silicon Valley startup ethos’ to Florida and have demonstrated the ability to innovate and rapidly execute,” SeedFundersOrlando CEO Dennis Pape said in the release. “Their product addresses a growing and critical health issue for older Americans and promises to make a difference in the world. We are thrilled to help them do so.”

UCF programming team heading to world finals

Marco Santana
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UCF programming team heading to world finals

Don’t get UCF sophomore computer science major Daniel West wrong.

He’s excited for his upcoming internship with the social media giant Facebook. How could he not be?

But when you dive headfirst into University of Central Florida’s successful competitive programming team, these kinds of opportunities are almost expected, he said.

“The things we do in the contest are very similar to what you would see in a technical interview,” he said. “It’s, ‘Work through this problem. Write a program that solves this.’ Recruiters look for people at these competitions.”

UCF’s programming team, of which West is a part, has advanced to the world finals of the 2021 International Collegiate Programming Contest.

The team finished 19th in the North American competition earlier this month.

About 12 years ago, UCF launched a lab on campus specifically for computer science and the programming team.

That has helped develop the program into one of the top in the country.

UCF has finished in the top 10 of the World Finals six times.

The competition charges teams with solving six real-world examples of problems faced by businesses.

It’s a combination of logic, strategy and endurance.

For instance, a team might be asked to develop a schedule for landing airplanes on a specified number of runways with the goal being maximizing the gap between landings.

“It’s really fun to work with a group of students who want to do well,” said Glenn Martin, who is entering his 27th year at UCF. “It’s great to see them grow.”

Along with West’s Facebook internship, other students are on their way to Microsoft, Google and Amazon.

Martin credits that at least partially to how UCF’s program has grown over the years.

“A lot of the companies, they don’t necessarily need you to get the right answer to a problem,” he said. “They want to see your process. If they see a good process, they go, “Wow, this person can think through a problem.’”

“It’s not some super secret: it’s about the culture,” he said. “Today’s success started back (in the early 1980s) because from the beginning we developed a good team culture, where people want to do well and collaborate well.”

The team members do get paid, which West says allows them to focus on learning new things rather than have to worry about not studying on a work night.

West first encountered the competitive programming scene while at Timber Creek High School in Orlando.

The team was his main extracurricular activity.

Before then, he did not have any experience in the activity.

“That early exposure roped me into this concept of using computers to tackle fun problems,” he said.

“I enjoy the problem-solving aspect of this,” said West, who wants to work in software engineering. “It’s something I have a knack for and it helps with the degree I’m pursuing.”

West is quick to point out that the coaches and his teammates, seniors Sharon Barak and junior Seba Villalobos, played as big a role as he did in pushing the team into the tournament.

“It would be a pretty lame team if it were just us three,” he said. “There is a big sense of pride and we are all proud to represent UCF.”

Pink Lotus officially launches child-safety device

Marco Santana
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Pink Lotus officially launches child-safety device

An Orlando tech startup that already had been having a good month announced an official launch this week.

Officials with Pink Lotus Technologies’ device, which provides safety information to first responders, had previously announced integration with a widely used 911 system.
The formal launch has been a long time coming, CEO Maryann Kilgallon said.

“No child should ever die because of a tragic incident like being left in hot car or because of wandering from his or her parents,” said Kilgallon, who pursued the business after seeing a report about a child’s death in a hot car about four years ago. ““It’s been a substantial journey to get to this point, but we know this is a solution to prevent someone’s avoidable death.”

As she launched her company, Orlando Tech News caught up with her to learn more about her journey and what’s next for the company.

What’s it like to have this launch, after you put so much into it?

It is a great feeling, As I Iook back, it is incredible at what I have been through, the good and bad experiences on this journey are too long to list. As I tell my story, it is very emotional for me. People said this is a very hard space and “maybe you should re-think it.” But I was not going to let the naysayers get in the way of my determination. It’s too damn important. This technology is going to save lives everywhere and that has been my north star always.

How difficult has development been?

I did not have a tech background so it was very challenging. I had to learn how apps are developed, the manufacturing process, how hardware components function. I have become a student of tech and had to learn every step of the development chain. I am still learning.

What launched you into entrepreneurship with Pink Lotus and the POMM device?

I saw how a little boy in Orlando had died while in the hands of a caregiver. It was a terrible death. When I heard the details, I was so upset that I went to bed in tears. I could not sleep and kept wondering how this could happen in the age of technology we live in. I started to think about solutions that might have saved his life. The very next day I started doing research to see what options were available and did not see anything that I thought was good enough, so I invented POMM, which stands for “Peace Of Mind Monitor.”

What lessons have you learned as a startup founder that you hope will help you push this community and product forward? 

Startup founders need capital to launch. Founders are a very special group of individuals. Most do not have wealthy families to go to, to ask for seed money. In today’s world, anyone can invest in a startup. Our pre-seed round is still open. There are crowdfunding platforms out there. As for the device, I tell people I meet all the time that children face tragedy every day, especially when in the care of others. POMM is an insurance policy for your loved ones.

What’s are your thoughts on the support from Orlando’s tech community? What does it get right and what can it do better?

Orlando still has a lot of work to do. I look at Tampa and Miami and see headlines all the time about their ecosystem. I wonder why don’t we mirror their playbook? Obviously, they get it. They have invested in the startup community with real dollars. I think Orlando wants to help but sometimes they take too long to support new ideas. In the meantime, the startups end up seeking outside help, whether it’s funding or joining accelerators.

Programs that Kilgallon cited as potential boosters to the startup community include the UCF Business Incubator, the Orange County Cluster Initiative with the Florida High Tech Corridor and Project Orlando.

Orlando Red Roof Inn helps Brazilian hotel tech firm launch product

Marco Santana
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Orlando Red Roof Inn helps Brazilian hotel tech firm launch product

The Red Roof Inn on International Drive has become one of the large hotel chain’s first to adopt self-check-in kiosks for guests to bypass front-desk interactions.

The business helped the Brazilian company Brisa, which has a small team located in Central Florida and is located in the UCF Business Incubator, launch its U.S. presence.

CEO Paulo Toledo said that smaller to medium-sized hotels, along with mom-and-pop operations, had been slow to jump into the virtual check-in game.

“We understood from studying the market that the hospitality industry would be a major focus to start with,” he said. “Some of these companies are still in the initial stage of digital customization.”

Toledo has been in Central Florida for the last six years, he said.

Brisa is a contractor that has worked on products for hotels, educational firms and large mobile phone companies like LG, doing software testing.

Although the company had penetrated the market into large companies with its Latin American presence, doing so in the U.S. proved problematic.

So, Toledo said, the company has started to work with smaller businesses, hoping to prove its value.

The trick for Toledo has been to convince smaller hotel chains and operations that this kind of automation is needed, a task made easier during the coronavirus pandemic.

“When it arrived, we made another push,” he said. “It was about the need those companies had to assure social distancing and safer conditions for their guests to be safe.”

Brisa’s kiosk allow hotel guests to check in on devices that are similar to airport kiosks.

The company has a white-label product that it provides for hotels and other clients.

“In our experience, the hotel industry is very diverse,” he said. “On the one hand, you have big hotel chains that have more automation. On the other hand, you have a lot of mom-and-pops with very little automation.”

“There is a huge opportunity in the market for introducing technology and automation in those organizations,” he said. “But we also see some barriers. This industry was hit very hard by the pandemic.”

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