Aviation accidents cause two-thirds of all deaths of wildlife biologists working in the field. This puts aviation accidents above attacks from wildlife, making it the leading cause of death for wildlife biologists. This surprising statistic is what inspired Thomas Rambo, then a Master’s Degree student at the University of Florida, Gainesville to take action.

A graduate aerospace engineer, Rambo was approached by the U.S Army Corps of Engineers while in the university’s Micro Air Vehicles lab. The army was researching drone options in the exploration of the Florida Everglades and monitoring for any intrusive wildlife. Not only would using drones for such missions save the U.S army a lot of money, but it would also ensure the safety of army personnel. No longer would they need airplanes, or helicopters. Teaming up with Thomas Reed and John Perry, a geomatics graduate, Rambo started working on a drone prototype which took approximately one year to complete. The 17 pound drone has a wingspan of about 9 meters and can fly for around 90 minutes at 30 miles per hour, all the while capturing real videos and images using the onboard camera.

Seeing this as a viable business opportunity, the team joined an entrepreneurship certificate program offered by the college. This marked their entry into the drone industry with their drone company they named Altavian.  When the U.S Army heard about the company’s new drones, they called on them to mass produce the drones for them. A steady stream of new clients followed. The company hired 43 new employees, including mechanical engineers and pilots to keep up with the demand.

Each drone sells for for between $20,000 – $60,000 depending on the number of sensors they have. Goldman Sachs estimates that the drone industry will worth 100 billion dollars by the year 2020. Altavian is eager to get in on the action with their drones for commercial use. The biggest challenge for the company is keeping up with the improved technology to meet the demands of the clients. But Altavian’s business continues to grow as they work with the military and commercial companies.