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Jed Boal reportingIngenious inventors don't often have the kind of backing it takes to launch the latest, greatest idea. At a showcase today, inventors got to pitch their ideas to investors who can make that happen.
The inventor of the hyperblimp hopes the unmanned air vehicle is the next great idea to get funded and take off. The business manager, Spencer Deputy tells us the hyperblimp can fly 30 miles per hour on solar power and cover distances of ten of 20 miles. It can carry a camera and research equipment and might be useful for search and rescue or reconnaissance work.
"It's able to slip through the air with speed and agility. One of the things that makes it unique is the thrust system on the back. Typical air ships, the thrust comes off the bottom. This one, all of the thrust comes out of the back. It can be directed any direction, forward and reverse to maneuver it," Deputy said.
Not a bad pitch. Investors at the 9th annual Sorenson Inventor showcase are looking for bright ideas from medical, to recreational, to purely conceptual.
For the hyperblimp and other mavericks with magical ideas, it's a chance to network and give the business community a glimpse of what innovators from Utah universities and start-ups are creating in their labs.
Inventors pitched 40 of Utah's cutting-edge technologies, ranging from prototype concepts to well-established commercial entities.
Deputy says, "We've got something we see a big future in. We're looking for other entrepreneurs that can help us move along this path."
The idea is to create a good match for inventors and investors. We'll let you know if the hyperblimp gets the kind of launch that it needs.
Email:jboal@ksl.com
