The Northeast Meeup, held on March 26th at University of Pennsylvania Pennovation Works gathered the PX4 community, roboticists, engineers, students and researchers for a day packed with in-depth technical presentations and unrivaled networking. The event established new connections for the local PX4 contributors and reaffirmed longstanding relationships in the open source community.
Event Overview
Expanding on the schedule from our previous meetup, the East Coast edition featured a giant lineup of legendary speakers. It covered everything from groundbreaking research to advanced real-world applications that exemplify the power of PX4. Here’s a recap of the sessions:
Deep Dive into the PX4 Autopilot (10:00 AM)
Ramon Roche, General Manager of the Dronecode Foundation, kicked off the technical sessions with an in-depth exploration of the PX4 Autopilot. He emphasized the importance of collaboration and open standards in driving innovation in the drone industry. Ramon’s talk highlighted how the PX4 community continues to push the boundaries of autonomous flight and how attendees could get involved in shaping the future of open-source drone technology.
10 Years of PX4 at GRASP – An Overview (10:30 AM)
Fernando Cladera, PhD Student at GRASP Lab, UPenn, presented a comprehensive overview of the decade-long journey of PX4 at the GRASP Lab. Fernando’s presentation provided historical context and showcased the evolution of PX4 technology within the academic research environment at UPenn.
Wildland Fire Management and Avalanche Mitigation with Drones (11:00 AM)
Max Tubmann, Director of Integrations at Drone Amplified, delivered a compelling talk on practical applications of drone technology in emergency response scenarios. Max discussed innovative approaches to wildland fire management and avalanche mitigation, demonstrating how drones are transforming these critical safety operations.
Deploying QGC in a SteamDeck (11:30 AM)
Conor McCaffey, CEO of UAX Technologies, shared insights on the novel implementation of QGroundControl in the Steam Deck platform. Conor’s presentation showcased the versatility of modern drone control systems and the potential for consumer gaming hardware to serve professional drone applications.
Lunch & Networking (12:00 PM)
Attendees enjoyed a lunch break that provided an excellent opportunity to connect and exchange ideas before the afternoon sessions.
Using Simulation to Develop Real-World Robotic Intelligence (12:45 PM)
Parv Kapoor, PhD Student at CMU and Research Intern at Scaled Foundations, discussed the critical role of simulation in developing robust robotic intelligence. Parv’s talk emphasized how simulation environments accelerate development cycles and enable safer testing of advanced drone capabilities.
Towards Safe and Efficient Real-Time Motion Planning in Windy Urban Environments (1:15 PM)
Spencer Folk, PhD Candidate at GRASP Lab, UPenn, presented cutting-edge research on motion planning for drones operating in challenging urban wind conditions. Spencer explained how sophisticated algorithms can enhance drone navigation safety and efficiency in complex environments.
Real-Time Image Stabilization Using VOXL 2 AI Autopilot (2:15 PM)
Alex Kushleyev, Technical Advisor at ModalAI, delivered a technical deep dive on real-time image stabilization technologies. Alex discussed how the VOXL 2 AI Autopilot enables superior image quality in dynamic flight conditions, opening new possibilities for aerial imaging and data collection.
Live Demonstrations & Hands-on Activities (2:45 PM)
The formal presentations concluded with an exciting session of live demonstrations at the Pennovation outdoor net, where attendees witnessed heavy-duty drone and satellite navigated drone flights.
Extended Networking Session (3:30 PM)
The event wrapped up with an extended networking session, providing attendees additional opportunities to engage with speakers, fellow enthusiasts, and industry professionals over refreshments.
Community Engagement and Collaboration
The Northeast Meetup exceeded expectations in fostering meaningful dialogue among participants. Throughout the day, the Treehouse buzzed with energy as seasoned professionals exchanged insights with curious newcomers. Technical discussions spilled over from formal sessions into animated group conversations, where attendees freely shared challenges from their own projects and received immediate feedback from peers. This organic knowledge exchange exemplified the collaborative spirit that makes the PX4 ecosystem thrive and demonstrated how regional gatherings can strengthen the broader open-source movement.
Acknowledgments
A special note of gratitude goes to the University of Pennsylvania Pennovation Works for providing their exceptional Treehouse space for our gathering. This world-class innovation hub proved to be the perfect setting for a day dedicated to cutting-edge discussions and demonstrations. The venue’s support team went above and beyond to ensure everything ran smoothly from setup to conclusion.
We’d also like to personally thank Vijay Kumar Nemirovsky Family Dean, SEAS, and Fernando Cladera, Robotics MSE ’19; PhD, CIS, for their hands on work to make this event possible and coordinating all the stakeholders at UPenn. Their ongoing support of the PX4 community is exemplary.
We’re deeply indebted to our remarkable roster of speakers who traveled from across the country to share their expertise with the Philadelphia community. Their willingness to engage with attendees long after their sessions had ended highlighted the genuine passion that drives our industry forward.
Looking Ahead
The Philadelphia Meetup was proof of the region’s strong influence in driving the industry forward. We look forward to seeing you at a meetup in the future. If you’d like to host your own, let us know in the Dronecode Discord server! We’re happy to help you get started.
