Ashima Devices, the maker of drones, announced its decision to move its headquarters from Pasadena, California to Reno, Nevada.
The Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada said Ashima Devices made a commitment to collaborate with the University of Nevada, Reno on programs that would prepare students for jobs in the UAV field.
During a press conference at Reno-Stead Airport, Governor Brain Sandoval emphasized that drones are “one of the next big things in aviation, and frankly, in the world.”
Ashima Devices to create 400 new jobs
Ashima Devices is expected to create approximately 400 new jobs by 2018. The jobs will be in the field of research, testing and manufacturing unmanned aerial vehicles commonly known as drones.
According to Larry Lambert, vice president of Ashima Devices, “A lot of graduates from UNR and a lot of graduates from the community college system are going to find their way to Ashima.” He added, “We want to build that community so a lot of your sons and daughters stay here and work here instead of going off to some other place.”
Lambert was a former member of the U.S. Special Forces with experience in national intelligence and law enforcement.
Ashima Devices’ drones not yet in production
The newly developed drones of Ashima Devices are not yet in production. The drones are designed for law enforcement, fire and rescue, global security, industrial and marine environments.
Ian McEwan, the chief technical officer of Ashima Devices, explained that the round drones called Hexpuck provide a short-range situational awareness of 600 feet to approximately half-mile. According to him, Hexpuck is designed to “get to the scene, get out and get reconnaissance going.”The Hexpuck could be used for law enforcement, monitoring wildfire, or investigating structural flaws in an oil tanker.
Mark Richardson is the president and CEO of Ashima Devices. He was a former Caltech faculty with two decades of experience in planetary science and spacecraft exploration.
The company will display its devices in the “drone zone” at the Reno National Championship Races in Stead.
