Astrobotic unveils flight model | Drone flies with 3D printed antenna

Astrobotic unveils flight model

PITTSBURGH, PA—Commercial space company Astrobotic unveiled the flight model of its Peregrine lunar lander during a visit by top NASA and government officials to the company’s headquarters. The flight model, as opposed to earlier test models, is the version of Peregrine that will actually fly to the moon on a United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket.

Missouri company lands Webby Award nomination

KANSAS CITY, MO—Kenzen, a Kansas City startup that’s gained accolades and hefty investments for its wearable health monitoring device, is nominated for Best App and Software in the 26th Annual Webby Awards — the highest profile awards recognition for excellence on the internet. Kenzen’s solutions use physiology data to predict and prevent heat injury, illness, and death from heat on worksites.

Drone flies with 3D printed antenna

KENT, OH–Event 38 Unmanned Systems successfully flew a drone fitted with a 3D-printed antenna at Kent State University. The project, backed by the Ohio Federal Research Network (OFRN), was a collaboration between Event 38, Kent State University, Youngstown State University, and Youngstown Business Incubator (YBI), which led the project.

Smart farm tech company expands

SPRINGFIELD, OH–Indoor farming tech company Square Roots is teaming up again with Gordon Food Service Inc. to launch a fourth farm and further expand the duo’s Midwest reach. The new farm, which will be located in Springfield, Ohio, will harness Square Roots’ smart-farm technology platform and software-controlled hydroponic growing systems to produce more food with fewer resources 365 days a year.

Robotics companies expand to Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH, PA–Texas-based Plus One Robotics announced that it will expand into the Pittsburgh Innovation District in May. The news comes after another growing robotics company, Neuraville, also announced an expansion to the innovation district.

Assisted reading and translation tech

MINNEAPOLIS, MN—E-learning startup GogyUp is addressing an adult literacy issue affecting Americans with its assisted reading and translation technology. The company’s text-to-speech technology helps users decode words and provides definition explainers. The tech also translates into preferred languages, and gives the user opportunities to practice spelling and comprehension through exercises.

New incubator in Nashville

NASHVILLE, TN–Vanderbilt’s Center for Innovation, called The Wond’ry, has opened an incubator space called Launch, which is dedicated to startups affiliated with local universities. The space is designed to support pre-seed and seed-stage venture founders in an array of sectors—from health care to the arts—and business models, including social ventures and benefit corporations.