NCS News Desk

The prime contractors for NASA’s Artemis mission and related programs are tech giants like Aerojet Rocketdyne, Boeing, Jacobs, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. However, 3,800 suppliers across the U.S. also are working on the program. NASA’s Artemis program will put humans back on the moon for the first time since 1972.   http://NASA’s Florida moon mission powered by dozens of local firms

The Orlando International Airport leadership set big goals for its 10-year discussion — including the possibility of an on-site K-12 school. The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, the governing entity of the airport, went through a wishlist of wants for the airport over the next decade during its Aug. 17 meeting. Most of the requests were typical in nature including completing and getting up to full speed the new Terminal C project, which debuts next month; opening the Brightline hub at the airport and finding a solution to connect SunRail to the airhub; identifying an upgrade plan for the existing north […]

Universal Orlando Resort’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter land is all about making guests feel as if they are wizards, and a new patent aims to help them do it with flair. The patent, “Variable Effects Activation in an Interactive Environment,” aims to allow an interactive environment activated via a device — such as a sword or wand — to allow for a variety of movements to activate that scenery. The technology could be used for guests who are unable to perform an exact movement to activate the scenery or those who add their own additional movements out of entertainment. […]

 Space Florida Eyes Playing Bigger Financial Role Jim Turner | News Service of Florida | 8/1/2022 Florida’s aerospace agency wants to expand its role from helping companies finance rocket and satellite projects to more directly getting money into the hands of firms seeking to move burgeoning technology to the launch pad. Space Florida President and CEO Frank DiBello told the agency’s board last week that a goal over the next few years is to allow Space Florida to go from arranging financial incentives and opportunities to working with a more-complex array of relationships that involve banks, pension funds and the insurance […]

NCS Announces 2022 Class for Modeling & Simulation Hall of Fame  The National Center for Simulation (NCS) announced it will induct two new members — Dr. Winston “Wink” Bennett and Dr. James (Jim) Wall — to the NCS Modeling and Simulation (M&S) Hall of Fame. The ceremony is Oct. 24, 2022, at the Orange County Convention Center, South Concourse – the home of the NCS Modeling and Simulation Hall of Fame where inductees are on permanent display.“Both Dr. Bennett and Dr. Wall have demonstrated a life-long commitment to the modeling and simulation community,” said George Cheros, NCS CEO and president. […]

With a colorful mural and an animated video screen adorning the outside, Electronic Arts Inc.’s new downtown Orlando office stands out. Still, it’s no less impressive inside the 175,000-square-foot office and studio where EA (Nasdaq: EA) makes Madden NFL, NBA Live Mobile, EA’s returning college football game and other sports titles. https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2022/05/31/florida-orlando-ea-downtown-video-game-office.html?utm_source=st&utm_medium=en&utm_campaign=EC&utm_content=or&ana=e_or_EC&j=27944540&senddate=2022-06-04

An Orlando-based company’s newest high-tech, indoor vertical farm is in the works. Kalera Inc. seeks a conditional-use permit from the city of Orlando to allow for indoor lettuce growing in a warehouse at 6843 Conway Road, near Orlando International Airport. The company aims to convert 33,100 square feet inside the 101,000-square-foot warehouse into a vertical farm, similar to its existing growing facilities in Orlando and across the U.S.   https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2022/06/02/orlando-tech-construction-kalera-airport-farming.html?utm_source=st&utm_medium=en&utm_campaign=BN&utm_content=or&ana=e_or_BN&j=27923685&senddate=2022-06-02

An Orlando-based fund that launched with the goal of raising and investing $30 million has a few more deals up its sleeve this year. The Lake Nona Sports & Health Tech Fund likely will invest in three or four more startups before the end of the year, Principal Thomas Rudy told Orlando Inno. That means a few companies, and potentially some startups from Central Florida, have a chance at landing investment dollars from the fund in the next six months. https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/inno/stories/inno-insights/2022/06/01/florida-orlando-technology-investment-fund-sports.html?utm_source=st&utm_medium=en&utm_campaign=EC&utm_content=or&ana=e_or_EC&j=27914912&senddate=2022-06-01

The masters of the metaverse are in Central Florida. That’s according to the Orlando Economic Partnership, which is spearheading an initiative to establish the region from Orlando to Miami as the “MetaCenter,” the national hub for technologies that power the metaverse. They include gaming, simulation, virtual reality and artificial intelligence. Central Florida is moving to be the first U.S. market to embrace the identity of a metaverse hub, said OEP Chief Innovation Officer David Adelson. “After watching intently for years as the building blocks of this new frontier unfold, the metaverse is taking shape – and it is evident that […]

C2TI Grows Advisory Board with Former CAE, USA President  C2 Technologies Inc., an internationally recognized leader in education, immersive learning (AR/VR/XR, Metaverse), MODSIM, Aviation training, and Digital Transformation announces its newest advisory board member, Raymond “Duke” Duquette. The former president and general manager of CAE, USA, Duke has more than 30 years of experience in the global defense, simulation, and aviation training industries. In his position on C2TI’s advisory board, Duke will leverage this experience and expertise to support business development in the Defense and Aviation markets and strategic decision-making for the company. “We are thrilled to have Duke join our […]

TEMPE, Ariz., May 02, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — VirTra, Inc. (NASDAQ: VTSI) (“VirTra”), a global provider of judgmental use of force training simulators, and firearms training simulators for the law enforcement and military markets, has appointed John Givens as co-chief executive officer (CEO), effective today. Givens has been a member of the board of directors for VirTra since November 2020. In 2010, he founded the U.S. company of Bohemia Interactive Simulations (BISim), and during his tenure as president of the company, he led the business to becoming one of the most widely deployed simulation products throughout all branches of the U.S. and allied […]

The release of Unreal Engine 5 is making waves across many industries. Its potential to change the face of next-generation game development is clear, while creators in film and television, live events, architecture, automotive, and more all have much to celebrate. But groundbreaking new toolsets for generating highly realistic, high-accuracy, massive Open Worlds are equally applicable to the simulation industry. Here, we’ll take a look at just some of the highlights and examine what they mean to this community. Bigger, more accurate Open Worlds With UE5, the sky doesn’t have to be the limit. A new World Partition system changes how levels are managed […]

C2 Technologies Opens Center for Immersive Learning Tech & MODSIM in Orlando  Orlando, Fla. (April 26, 2022) – C2 Technologies, a global aerospace and defense company specializing in immersive training through technology, has opened its Center for Immersive Learning Tech and MODSIM in Orlando, through the UCF Business Incubation Program’s Soft Landing program at the Research Park Incubator.   The company, which employs more than 500 people in 44 locations in the United States, believes this move will give C2 Technologies access to more potential customers and high technology talent.   “Orlando is the hub for modeling, simulation and training internationally,” says Dolly Oberoi, CEO, […]

Drone startup Hoverfly Technologies Inc. is nearly doubling in size. Hoverfly on April 25 cut the ribbon on its new 20,500-square-foot headquarters in Sanford after moving from its previous 11,000-square-foot building on March 1. The facility, which acts as Hoverfly’s primary research and design/design space, means the company will add 50 workers to its staff of 60. Twelve-year-old Hoverfly makes tethered drones for the U.S. military, as well as security and public safety companies and agencies. By connecting to a power source, the drones can stay in the air indefinitely without having to come down to recharge. They’re commonly used […]

The reason HypGames Inc. wanted to get celebrities like pro golfer Lee Westwood, rock star Alice Cooper and “Seinfeld” actor John O’Hurley on its mobile golf game was simple. HypGames created that game, Ultimate Golf, so users could play rounds of virtual golf in interesting places with interesting people, co-founder and CEO Mike Taramykin told Orlando Inno. What’s more interesting than competing against the singer of “School’s Out” or one of the world’s top golfers? Last year, HypGames worked with a nonprofit to host a charity virtual golf tournament with celebrities. That blossomed into a series of competitions and video interviews with celebrities and professional athletes, which has turned […]

Winter Park, FL— April 21, 2022. The U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence (MEDCoE)/Department of Operational Medicine (DoOM) has again awarded SIMETRI Inc. a 3-year contract to provide physician assistant instructional services and personnel for its Tactical Combat Medical Care Course (TCMC). SIMETRI instructors will continue to design and implement point-of-injury, combat medical readiness training curricula for military medical professionals at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. “We cherish the work that we do at the TCMC for MEDCoE, as well as the people that do the work,” said Brian Holmes, SIMETRI vice president of business development. “As the incumbent, it can be […]

Army Awards SoarTech Contract to Develop AI and Machine Learning Solutions to Address Ground Warfare Challenges  ANN ARBOR, Mich. – April 21, 2022.  SoarTech was one of 10 small businesses awarded more than $11 million, collectively, through the Army’s Applied Small Business Innovation Research Program, to develop artificial intelligence and machine learning (ML) solutions with the potential to address ground warfare challenges for the U.S. Soldier. “SoarTech is excited to be selected to apply AI and machine learning to the Army’s toughest problems,” said Mike van Lent, CEO.  “Our DeepSynth project will explore an innovative approach to synthetic data creation to tackle […]

A local cybersecurity company expects to hire more than 100 people and expand its reach after raising $100 million. ThreatLocker Inc. raised the money in a Series C fundraising round led by New York-based private equity firm General Atlantic Service Co. LP, co-founder and CEO Danny Jenkins told Orlando Inno. As a result, the Maitland-based firm will add employees, expand its Central Florida office footprint and enhance its product so it’s accessible to more businesses, Jenkins said. Founded in 2017, the company provides server and endpoint security for 23,000 clients. The company has grown quickly since 2019, when it employed about six people. Between […]

    Milpitas, CA – April 18, 2022 Quantum3D Mixed Reality Simulator has been nominated for AWE USA 2022 AUGGIE AWARDS in the category of BEST ENTERPRISE SOLUTION (Enterprise solutions that solve business problems using AR, and VR) Please visit the following link to vote for Quantum3D Mixed Reality. https://www.awexr.com/usa-2022/auggie Quantum3D’s new mixed reality visual flight simulation system allows users to experience combination of real and virtual world by flying over any terrain. This state-of-art system eliminates expensive dome display systems while maintaining full 360 degree visuals with 90 fps. This can substantially reduce the physical footprint of the simulator, […]

Florida’s Space Coast is again on the hunt for a major U.S. military command. Patrick Space Force Base in Brevard County is a candidate to host the U.S. Space Force’s Space Training and Readiness Command Headquarters, according to the U.S. Air Force. Known as STARCOM, it’s used to educate and train space professionals, for program testing and evaluation and teaching “warfighting doctrine, tactics, techniques and procedures.” The Air Force will begin site surveys for STARCOM headquarters in late April or early May. Of course, landing STARCOM would offer big benefits to Central Florida’s economy. For one, it would bring military […]