ASI’s Guideline™ Robotic Convoy System
The Edison Awards, celebrating 26 years of honoring the best in innovation and excellence in the development of new products and services, has announced that Autonomous Solutions‘ Guideline™ Robotic Convoy System was voted a bronze winner for innovation in the Applied Technology: Safety category at the April 25th event at Navy Pier in Chicago. Mel Torrie, President and CEO of Autonomous Solutions, Inc., joined hundreds of senior executives from some of the world’s most recognized companies to acknowledge the hard work and commitment of all the 2013 Edison Award winners.
Being recognized with an Edison Award has become one of the highest accolades a company can receive in the name of innovation and business. Autonomous Solutions, Inc. joins other bronze winning companies such as Starbucks Coffee Company, Black & Decker, General Motors Company, Intuit, Target Corporation, and Thermo Fisher Scientific.
“Our judges recognized Guideline as a true innovator out of the many products in its category,” said Frank Bonafilia, executive director of the Edison Awards.
The Guideline™ Robotic Convoy System uses a Kevlar cord to connect unmanned vehicles to a lead vehicle. Sensors in the Guideline unit measure the cord to determine the direction, speed, and distance of the lead vehicle and relay the data to the unmanned computer system of the follower vehicle. The vehicle control system then plots a course that exactly mimics the lead vehicle’s pathway. Using this leader/follower system, robotic convoys managed by Guideline can be up to ten vehicles long and travel safely at highway speeds. Guideline is being tested by the US military in active combat zones to remove convoy drivers from exposure to roadside explosives or enemy fire.
Guideline was chosen as a finalist from more than 7100 products nominated for this year’s Edison Awards™ competition. The ballot of nominees was judged by a panel of more than 3,000 leading business executives including past award winners, academics and leaders in the fields of product development, design, engineering, science, and medical.
“It is an honor for Guideline to be recognized with the Bronze Edison Award,” said Torrie. “I think it’s a great way to celebrate the hard work and effort that went into this product by our development and software teams. We believe that Guideline is a game-changing innovation with a real ability to save lives.”
The Edison Awards is a program conducted by the Edison Universe, a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to fostering future innovators. The Awards have been recognizing and honoring the best in innovations and innovators since 1987. They honor game-changing innovations that are at the forefront of new product and service development, marketing, and human-centered design, and are one of the highest accolades a company can receive in the name of successful innovation. For more information about the Edison Awards complete program and a list of past winners, visit http://www.edisonawards.com.
