Drones may seem like something taken out of sci-fi, but for Rut Patel, the founder of Voyager Industries, they represented a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Rut’s philosophy relies on doing something that stands out. In this episode, we talk to him about how he applied this principle to his career, discovering how drones can make big tech improvements and even save lives. Join us and envision the drone’s multiple roles in our future everyday activities!
Before any world-changing innovation, there was a moment, an event, a realization that sparked the idea before it happened. This is a podcast about that moment — about that idea. Before IT Happened takes you on a journey with the innovators who imagined — and are still imagining — our future. Join host Donna Loughlin as her guests tell their stories of how they brought their visions to life.
JUMP STRAIGHT INTO:
(01:48) - Rut Patel's school years - “I was just always talking to people ‘Hey, do you have anything broken down? I can take a look’.”
(04:20) - Coming to America- “I was so hungry to learn English because the biggest gift I had was my people skills. That's what I developed in India.”
(13:11) - Rut’s first drone - “I realized I can also monitor the progress that construction companies are making. So I started knocking on their doors and saying, ‘Hey, if you like any progress monitoring from the drone, I can keep track of all your business.’
(17:49) - What makes Rut’s idea standout - “I started understanding their problem and only if I could solve this problem with technology, that's when I approached them with the solution, not even mentioning a drone.”
(22:16) - How drones can help in natural disasters - “As soon as the hurricane passed by, we go out and we fly the drones, look at all the power lines, cell towers and all the infrastructure, making sure it's safe for people to get back in.”
(26:38) - How (and why) Rut started manufacturing his own drones - “Black Wing is a fixed-wing drone that flies up to 100 miles per hour, goes 12 miles away and flies for two hours. So you can cover a pretty big area and it can carry a big payload.”
(29:43) - Drones and artificial intelligence - “With agriculture, it recognizes the brown spot surrounded by green and knows why it happened because we have enough data to train that model.”
EPISODE RESOURCES:
Connect with Rut Patel on Linkedin and Instagram
Learn more about Voyager and follow them on Facebook
Watch Rut’s interview with Dave Talks Business: From American Immigrant on Minimum Wage to Tech CEO - Rut Patel of Voyager Industries
Read Florida’s Business Observer's Lofty ambitions: Drone-based businesses navigate their way to success
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Before IT Happened is produced by Donna Loughlin and StudioPod Media with additional editing and sound design by nodalab. The Executive Producer is Katie Sunku Wood and all episodes are written by Jack Buehrer.
