It might be the top city in America, and perhaps the top city in the world. Either way, New Orleans is set to host a massive developer conference with a component specific to the drone industry — and it even includes a free drone light show.
The highly-anticipated PX4 Developer Summit is set to return for 2023, this time in New Orleans on October 21 and 22.
The giant, two-day drone developers conference is hosted by the Dronecode Foundation at the New Orleans Hyatt Regency and immediately follows the closely-related ROSCon ’23. That’s a conference specific to robot operating systems, and it makes sense why you might attend both.
Either way, folks who attend ROSCon ’23 have another reason to stick around though — and that’s the nighttime entertainment. This year’s 2023 PX4 Developer Summit is set to include a drone light shows in the evening sky over New Orleans. The show will be put on by a company called UVify, which perhaps not coincidentally built its technology on top of the PX4 ecosystem. The light show could on its own serve as shining proof (pun completely intended) of open source drones.
Last year’s version of the PX4 Developer Summit 2022 had a drone light show of its own (which you can see photos and social media of here). And in 2022, more than 200 open-source developers and industry leaders attended the conference.
That figure could very likely grow given the conference’s ideal location in New Orleans, which was voted a “World’s Best City” by Travel + Leisure. And if it does, this could be hands-down the best place to find out about the latest developments in aerial robotics before they hit shelves.
That’s largely due to the PX4 name tied to the event. PX4 is an open source flight control software designed primarily for drones as well as other types of uncrewed vehicles. Open-source tech is a growing in popularity in the drone industry, as drone brands leveraging open-source tech account now for 16% of all commercial drones out there (and they account for a far-higher 60% of all non-DJI drones), according to a report from commercial drone research group Drone Analyst on the rise of open source drones.
Other 2023 Dronecode PX4 Autopilot Developer Summit highlights to expect include:
- Keynotes from legends in the open-source community, including Chad Sweet, CEO and Co-Founder, ModalAI, and Hrishikesh Ballal, Co-Founder and Lead Developer, Openskies Aerial Technology
- More than 40 sessions and workshops, ranging from 30-minute presentation to 5-minute lighting talks to 2-hour workshops
- Representatives from groups including Auterion, UVify, Holybro, ModalAI and NXP Semiconductors
- News on the latest developments for PX4, MAVLink, QGroundControl, and ROS 2.
PLUS, I have an exclusive PX4 Developer Summit promo code that can get you an $100 discount off your registration. Use coupon code PX423MED100 when registering at this link. Register for the PX4 Autopilot Developer Summit here (and don’t forget to use promo code PX423MED100).
Key details about the 2023 PX4 Developer Summit in New Orleans
Early-bird registration runs between now and Aug. 31. When you register early, you’ll save $150 on the registration fee, paying just $400 rather than the standard fee of $550. And come October 2, the late registration fee of $650 kicks in. You can stack that with my $100 off promo code listed above.
That said, you might be eligible for entirely free registration (and perhaps free travel too), as the Dronecode Foundation offers scholarships and financial aid based on diversity candidates and people needing financial aid. To apply for a scholarship or financial aid, visit this page. And the scholarship could have ongoing impacts. Seppe Guens, last year’s scholarship recipient, received a position as a UAV Engineer at the Technology Innovation Institute through his scholarship to last year’s summit.
Beyond the scholarship, the conference also offers a discounted “Academic” rate for current full-time students and faculty members with a valid Faculty or Student ID.
Where to stay in New Orleans
Most folks will stay at the conference hotel, which is the Hyatt Regency New Orleans, located in downtown New Orleans adjacent to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, Smoothie King Center and Champions Square. It’s also not too far from the historic French Quarter.
Room rates run about $370 nightly, including taxes and fees, or alternative can be booked for about 9,000 World of Hyatt points per night.
Even if you don’t have points (yet), at least sign up for the free World of Hyatt loyalty program to earn points for your stay. You might also consider earning enough to cover your trip through the signup bonus on the World of Hyatt Credit Card, which can net you up to 60,000 points via the intro offer alone.
Don’t forget to register here and use promo code PX423MED100.
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