When Peter D’Amelio was a child, his dad got hit by a bus.
“It took forever for the ambulance to get to the hospital,” says the founder and CEO of Gridiron Robotics LLC, a Bucks County, PA robotic logistics company specializing in the automation of inbound and outbound package handling processes. “I knew then that there had to be a better way in terms of emergency response.”
With a passion for jumping of out of airplanes fueling his desire to learn how to fly and build such aircrafts, Pete knew that this “better way” needed to involve aviation and avionics.
So, when he heard about the GoAERO competition and its mission to create the next generation of emergency response vehicles, he decided to throw his hat – an aviator cap, at that – into the ring. He is founder of a team bearing the same name as his company.
GoAERO is a natural progression professionally and personally for the Philadelphia area entrepreneur with a background in finance and chemistry. His company is a comprehensive AI-based robotics logistics system.
“Logistics is at the root of effective emergency response,” Pete explains. “At my company, it’s about analyzing data from our robots’ sensors and identifying pattens using AI algorithms to optimize the robots’ movements, maximize efficiency, and minimizing errors. That’s also the goal of our GoAERO flyer.”
Pete points out that his GoAERO team will leverage the learnings from his company. For example, he notes that Gridiron’s advanced robotic systems, specifically engineered for package handling tasks, are capable of picking, sorting, and transporting packages with remarkable speed and precision, and adds that, “our robots, equipped with sophisticated sensors and computer vision technology, can identify and track packages in real-time, ensuring each package is handled with optimal care and efficiency.”
He’s confident that his GoAERO flyer will reflect those same qualities. Indeed, he says, “picking up a 250-pound person from an emergency and evacuating them quickly so that they can get the proper help requires a structure that is powerful enough to ensure optimal care and efficiency.”
Pete acknowledges that even with such understanding of state-of-the-art logistics technologies, he still has much to learn. That’s why he finds the GoAERO expert webinars so helpful; they provide “connections to the industry that will help make my concepts possible.”
Despite his knowledge base and all that he is learning from the webinars, Pete recognizes that there are challenges ahead for his GoAERO team. Right now, he says that his “biggest issue is what it will take to make a light and powerful efficient emergency response flyer.” He anticipates it will require a custom carbon fiber, epoxy and a PCB (printed circuit board) motor to overcome that challenge.
Or perhaps, a little paranormal magic? After all, Pete says his favorite movie is “Ghostbusters.”
To highlight your GoAERO Team, contact us at info@goaeroprize.com.
REMINDER: Stage 2 Registration Documents are available here.
Benefits for Teams can be found here.
