Alexei Yankelevich, Head of Software Development at SPH Engineering

Tell us something about your current position and professional background. (e.g. education, professional background, how did you come to drones?)

Alexei Yankelevich (SPH Engineering): I am a Co-Founder and Head of Software Development at SPH Engineering, a multiproduct drone software company and UAV integration services provider. I was the key developer behind the flagship UgCS drone mission planner back in 2013. Since then, I have been responsible for R&D projects, including the introduction of ATLAS, an AI powered platform to process data gathered with a UAV. Today, I lead product development and liaise with main UgCS and ATLAS customers. Before co-founding SPH Engineering, I had gained 10+ years of experience in the software industry. My technical expertise covers different areas like enterprise solutions and embedded systems.

What is your perspective on the counter-drone market in the next years? (e.g. adoption, ramp-up, regulation, market consolidation)

Alexei Yankelevich (SPH Engineering): We do not provide solutions for the counter-drone market. Maybe except the UgCS Commander, which helps to simulate drone attack.

Where do you see the Latvian drone market compared to other countries such as USA, China, or Germany?

Alexei Yankelevich (SPH Engineering): Latvia does not have a drone market compared to the USA, China, Germany. There are several companies like SPH Engineering, UAV Factory well known outside of the country.

In which industry verticals does your company focus on currently?

Alexei Yankelevich (SPH Engineering):

• Agriculture
• Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
• Construction
• Energy
• Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction
• Safety & Security

Why did you choose this industry vertical(s) and what other markets have high potential from your perspective?

Alexei Yankelevich (SPH Engineering): These are industries where drones bring most of the value. Also these markets are the biggest in monetary value. So, it's pretty natural that we focus on them. Our product suite has the best fit for these markets. Flight planning software, integrated sensors and AI-processing.

Your mission-planning software is compatible with many types of sensors and drone platforms. Do you see a specific trend in drone sensor combinations? (e.g. laser scanning increases, etc.)

Alexei Yankelevich (SPH Engineering): Yes, definitely. In my opinion UAV based LIDAR scanners is a new trend. It has started slowly in 2016. Sensors were big and expensive. Now we see a lot of good, lightweight and still affordable products and of course UgCS is in-line with this trend. More than 60% of our resellers either already work with LIDARS or look into this field. UgCS is widely used for LIDAR missions already, but shortly we’ll introduce more tools for corridor and areal mission as well as for sensor calibration. In addition, we see a bigger interest for Pixhawk-based drones specially from our partners working with governmental institutions in many countries. Worth mentioning, solutions of UgCS Integrated Systems by SPH Engineering are growing very well. It is a product line enabling integration between a drone, various sensors and UgCS software. Integration of GPR, Echo Sounders, Methane detectors, Magnetometers and Metal Detectors, enriched with radar altimeters, is supported across a wide range of industries worldwide.

What do you think will be your biggest challenge in the drone market as a Drone Software Service Provider? (e.g. regulation, industries, competition, end-to-end solutions, workflows, USP)

Alexei Yankelevich (SPH Engineering): We are moving towards the industry-specific solutions. With the growing number of pilots in different industries, people look for simple but still powerful products tailored for their workflows. And of course competition is getting harder here.all experts