$75,000 From the Henry L. Hillman Foundation to Help Build Airport Mapping Prototype

A new mapping tool, inspired by the Future Travel Experience Aviation & Robotics Summit 2024, has the potential to improve the performance and lower the cost of deicing operations.

Formica ProtoFab has been awarded $75,000 from the Allegheny County Airport Authority Charitable Foundation, made possible by a grant from Pittsburgh’s Henry L. Hillman Foundation, to begin commercializing the general-purpose mapping tool.

Pittsburgh International Airport hosted the 2024 Aviation & Robotics Summit, which brought together aviation and robotics industry professionals. In the technology ideation workshops, attendees were asked to identify challenges in the industry and – through a rigorous process that included risk, cost and other analyses – propose tech solutions.

The grant from the Henry L. Hillman Foundation continues the partnership it has established with the airport to fund projects that can serve as models for others in the aviation industry both nationally and internationally – including past grants to the airport’s childcare center and sensory room, Presley’s Place.

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