Three researchers awarded at The Takeoff: Northwest Florida Pitch Day

Cultivating innovation is in the DNA of the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition.

The Takeoff: 2024 Northwest Florida Pitch Day was another opportunity for the partnership between IHMC and Space Florida to yield fruitful results in the name of innovation.

Three IHMC Research Projects were featured at The Takeoff, a forum for regional startups and researchers to share their stories in front of venture capital and investment firms.

Dr. Morley Stone, IHMC’s Chief Executive Officer, said The Takeoff  “showcased IHMC’s growing commercialization interests and Florida’s prominence as a hub for cutting-edge technology, investment, and entrepreneurship, reinforcing the region’s critical role in shaping the future of innovation.”

IHMC Presenters were awarded $5,000 each for the following projects:

Tactile Glove Technology: Senior Research Scientist Dr. Jeff Phillips’ project for the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine that aims to create haptic gloves with a tactile selector embedded to improve dexterity and performance of in-flight tasks. The patented selector improves haptic feedback and precise digital manipulation of touch screens and other controls while wearing gloves.

Airborne and Portable Electromagnetic Sensing. Senior Research Associate Andy Bellina shared a project to design a low Size, Weight, Power, and Cost (SWaP-C) Electromagnetic Radiation (EM) detector/receiver that is light enough to be deployed on a small Unmanned Aircraft System, but adaptable enough to be used as a wearable.

KENNEL Threat Detection System. Senior Research Associate Daniel Duran highlighted a threat detection system that could provide a lower-cost initial line of perimeter defense for critical infrastructure and military personnel. These networked sensors can track light, temperature, motion, chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive exposures.

Private sector presenters that earned awards were:

ATOR Labs, $20,000: ATOR is a Panama City-based company focused on respiratory protective device testing. ATOR showcased Omnicheck, a testing device for respiratory protective devices to ensure employee safety across industries such as firefighting, oil and gas, chemical, and nuclear, and Automated Breathing Metabolic Simulator, used as a foundation for device testing.

RSAE Labs, $7,500: RSAE is a Lynn Haven-based company that is disrupting the global logistics industry. The company is innovating in the Internet of Things (IoT) landscape with a proprietary protocol technology.

Piersica, $7,500: Piersica is a Tallahassee-based company leading energy storage innovation with next-generation solid-state batteries. The company has a solid-state separator with higher conductivity than conventional separators and a new lithium metal anode structure that improves upon current anode technology.

In addition to IHMC and Space Florida, the state entity that promotes aerospace and space-related business development, financing, research and development, event sponsors were TechFarms Capital and Saltmarsh, Cleaveland & Gund.

“Through strategic programs like The Takeoff that bring together industry leaders, investors, and government, Space Florida and our partners are driving the commercialization of cutting-edge research and positioning the region as a node in the network of technology research and development,” said Rob Long, president and CEO, Space Florida.

Kelly Reeser, General Partner, TechFarms Capital, said the event was key to mobilizing investment capital in Northwest Florida.

“The dynamic exchange between investors and founders/technologists was palpable, and we’re excited about the positive impact this will have on our collective future,” Reeser said.

IHMC is a not-for-profit research institute of the Florida University System where researchers pioneer science and technology aimed at leveraging and extending human capabilities. IHMC researchers and staff collaborate extensively with the government, industry and academia to help develop breakthrough technologies. IHMC research partners have included: DARPA, the National Science Foundation, NASA, Army, Navy, Air Force, National Institutes of Health, IBM, Microsoft, Honda, Boeing, Lockheed, and many others.