ASG Demonstrates New UAS Technology to Improve Hazmat Response and Port Security

ASG and partner AVID have developed the ArgusElite® UAS to equip first responders with airborne sensors to safely identify and assess hazardous materials.

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES, October 18, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ — Alliance Solutions Group, Inc. (ASG) of Newport News recently demonstrated the capability of its ArgusElite® Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) to provide first responders with enhanced situational awareness and rapid deployment of recovery resources when responding to hazardous materials incidents. The presentation was part of the Port Security and Emergency Response pilot project in Hampton Roads, which is sponsored by the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC), the Virginia Institute for Spaceflight & Autonomy (VISA) at Old Dominion University (ODU) and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM). The demonstration was conducted at the York County Hazmat Training Center in Seaford. “The ArgusElite® Hazmat UAS provides public safety with real-time situational awareness so that they can rapidly implement offensive actions to stop the release, de-escalate the risk, and recover rapidly, ensuring continuity of port operations while minimizing the environmental impact,” said Bob Campbell, CEO of ASG. “The ArgusElite® is a game-changer for hazmat response and emergency management, and we are confident that it will make a significant difference in the safety of our ports and communities.”

The ArgusElite® is a fully integrated UAS, also known as a drone, specifically developed under a partnership between ASG and AVID LLC for hazmat response and emergency management. It is equipped with nine chemical, radiological, and spectral Electro-Optical/InfraRed (EO/IR) sensors that can be used to identify and assess hazardous materials safely, quickly and accurately. The drone is also capable of transmitting live video that provides total situational awareness of the incident area for search and rescue (SAR) operations in difficult terrain, at night, and in hazardous conditions over land or water. “Gaining real-time information about a spill, such as the type of material, its location, and its spread, helps first responders make quick and informed decisions about how to stop the spill and clean it up,” said Paul Gelhausen, the owner and chief technology officer at AVID. “It also prevents emergency personnel from entering a situation that could be harmful to their health and safety.”

The ArgusElite® is powered by a ducted fan that isolates the air used for thrust from the surrounding air. This allows placing the sensors outside the duct for direct contact with ambient air, enabling accurate quantification of airborne hazards. The eight-inch ducted fan also enables the vehicle to safely navigate confined areas. The payload is fully integrated with the flight management system and software, ensuring accurate mapping of hazards.

“As a former firefighter, I’ve seen firsthand how accidents involving hazardous materials can introduce an unpredictable and complex set of challenges, demanding rapid and well-coordinated responses,” said Chris Sadler, director of VIPC’s Public Safety Innovation Center. “Any delay in containment can lead to cascading consequences, putting the safety of firefighters and the community at risk.”

The Port of Virginia annually processes more than 28 million short tons of hazardous materials, including fuels, oils and inorganic chemicals. The release of a hazardous chemical into the air, water or ground could require closing a section of the port or waterway. That would significantly impact the delivery of manufactured goods and agricultural commodities that are shipped through the port, as well as the safety and security at the nearby naval station and manufacturing and recreational facilities.

“A closed seaport ripples through supply chains, affecting the industries, workforce and communities that rely on it,” said Dr. David Bowles, executive director of the Virginia Institute of Spaceflight and Autonomy at Old Dominion University. “Cutting-edge technologies that ensure rapid response, effective hazard management and well-informed decision-making play a pivotal role in upholding safety while strengthening the economic resilience of our region.”

The Center for Naval Analyses (CNA) is set to release a report this summer evaluating the advantages of the demonstrations featured in the pilot project. CNA offers research, analysis, and counsel to the United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Department of Defense. The report will gauge the effectiveness of the technology demonstrated during the pilot project and offer suggestions for future applications. “Unmanned systems hold immense promise in protecting Virginia’s seaport,” said Tracy Tynan, director of the Virginia Unmanned Systems Center at VIPC. “By leveraging this technology, we gain invaluable information from the air, land and sea, which helps public safety officials to make informed decisions that enhance port security measures while saving both time and resources.”

About Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC)
VIPC: Connecting innovators with opportunities. As the nonprofit operations arm of the Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority (VIPA), VIPC is the commercialization and seed stage economic development driver in the Commonwealth that leads funding, infrastructure, and policy initiatives to support Virginia’s innovators, entrepreneurs, startups, and market development strategies. VIPC collaborates with local, regional, state, and federal partners to support the expansion and diversification of Virginia’s economy.

Programs include: Virginia Venture Partners (VVP) | VVP Fund of Funds (SSBCI) | Virginia Founders Fund (VFF) |Commonwealth Commercialization Fund (CCF) | Petersburg Founders Fund (PFF) | Smart Communities | The Virginia Smart Community Testbed | The Virginia Unmanned Systems Center | Virginia Advanced Air Mobility Alliance (VAAMA) | The Public Safety Innovation Center |Entrepreneurial Ecosystems | Regional Innovation Fund (RIF) | Federal Funding Assistance Program (FFAP) for SBIR & STTR | University Partnerships | Startup Company Mentoring & Engagement. For more information, please visit www.VirginiaIPC.org. Follow VIPC on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

About VISA
The Virginia Institute for Spaceflight & Autonomy (VISA), located on the Eastern Shore, is chartered to grow the entrepreneurial ecosystems for space flight and autonomy. The Institute is the hub to leverage Virginia’s world-class assets in space launch, autonomous systems, modeling and simulation and data science to solve real-world problems. Through industry, academic and governmental agency partnerships, VISA’s vision is to create an environment of research, technology, commercialization, and educational opportunities to grow the spaceflight and autonomous systems industry. For more information, please visit www.visaatodu.org.

About VDEM
VDEM’s mission is to lead Virginia’s efforts in prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery to save lives and safeguard all Virginians, with a focus on under-resourced communities and equity. We ensure the security and resilience of every community in the state and drive fair mitigation and recovery outcomes. VDEM enhances readiness by planning for all hazards, improving our statewide response system, and conducting joint training and exercises involving local, state, federal governments, private sector partners and NGOs. For more information, please visit www.vaemergency.gov.

About ASG
Alliance Solutions Group (ASG) is a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business based in Newport News, Virginia that offers emergency management and environmental, health, and safety solutions to the public, private, and defense sectors. ASG’s team of strategists, thought leaders, subject matter experts, and instructors have an average of 20+ years of experience in their respective fields. In meeting customers’ needs, ASG leverages thousands of lessons learned, best practices and business processes that have been synthesized throughout the last two decades. Having conducted over 15,000 workplace audits and several thousand training and exercise events, ASG has built a solid understanding of the challenges facing both private and public sector organizations across multiple sectors. ASG’s perspective spans from the local to the global, with offices across the U.S. and throughout the world, and partnerships with municipal, state, federal, military, and private sector clients in 49 states and 17 countries. Learn more at www.asg-inc.org.

ABOUT AVID 
AVID LLC is a Yorktown, Virginia, based engineering and manufacturing company dedicated to making UAVs smarter and safer. AVID was founded in 2002 to develop multidisciplinary aircraft design software for the U.S. government. Since then, the company’s business has expanded into the development of innovative new aircraft technologies, and the design/manufacturing of small unmanned aircraft that can efficiently and safely perform sophisticated military and industrial tasks at low cost. AVID’s products include EDF-8, an electric ducted-fan UAV engineered and designed to navigate indoors, outdoors, and in tight spaces. In addition to providing much better performance than similarly sized hobby drones, the duct provides safety by shrouding the high-efficiency fan.  Visit http://www.avidaerospace.com for more information.
ArgusElite® is a registered trademark of Alliance Solutions Group, Inc.

Angela Costello, Vice President of Communications
Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC)
angela.costello@VirginiaIPC.org
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