A UAS traffic management system (UTM), surveillance radar to enhance beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone operations and weather related forecasts and monitoring for low level airspace activities are part of 12 projects which have received funding from the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity’s Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME).
“Michigan is a leader in mobility innovation, focused on the next phase of technologies that improve how people, goods and essential services move,” said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “These 12 projects will put advanced air mobility technologies to work in communities across our state, creating opportunities for Michigan businesses, strengthening our innovation ecosystem and helping prepare our workforce for the jobs of the future.”
The projects were selected through a competitive process under the Michigan Mobility Funding Platform, which is administered and managed by NextEnergy. These projects will deploy statewide, building on Michigan’s growing network of real-world testing environments and mobility infrastructure. According to a state publication the selected projects are:
Airspace Link – $80,000 (Detroit)
Deploying an Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) Traffic Management service to improve drone safety and access as Detroit’s low-altitude airspace becomes increasingly active.
Birdstop – $110,000 (Detroit)
Monitoring truck parking availability 24/7 with autonomous drones from self-charging perches, sending real-time open-space counts to drivers and freight operators.
Blueflite – $70,000 (Detroit)
Testing Tubular Network’s automated vertical tube system to move packages from rooftop drone drop-off points to their intended floors within the Detroit Smart Parking Lab.
Blueflite – $245,000 (Ann Arbor)
Partnering with M-Air to pilot drone-enabled organ delivery operations.
CENSYS Technologies – $170,000 (Traverse City)
Demonstrating drone-enabled power line inspections to improve utility infrastructure monitoring.
ESSPI – $110,000 (Detroit)
Deploying a real-time oversight system for medical drone deliveries within Detroit’s Transportation Innovation Zone.
Future Flight Global – $104,000 (Detroit)
Future Flight Global, in partnership with TruWeather Solutions and Bedrock Detroit, will integrate localized urban wind intelligence with Detroit’s Digital Twin to evaluate its use in drone mission planning, safety risk management and operational decision-making.
General Orbit – $150,000 (Detroit)
Testing a magnetic navigation system for unmanned aircraft operating in GPS-degraded and GPS-denied environments within the Transportation Innovation Zone.
Lamarr AI – $230,000 (Detroit)
Deploying AI-powered thermal drone inspections across 2M gross square feet of privately owned downtown Detroit buildings to improve façade safety and energy performance.
ResilienX – $200,000 (Battle Creek)
Deploying ResilienX’s ORION-X drone services platform in Battle Creek, beginning with a drone-as-first-responder program for the Battle Creek Police Department and with the long-term goal of supporting broader municipal and commercial applications.
Westwood AI – $100,000 (Calumet)
Testing AI-assisted drone data capture to generate more accurate aerial information for land and infrastructure inspections.
Wolverine Radar – $136,000 (Detroit) Testing a satellite-derived hazard warning system to improve UAV route planning within the Transportation Innovation Zone.
For more information
https://www.michigan.gov/leo/news/2026/10/21/whitmer-awards-funds-to-launch-12-advanced-air-mobility-projects-statewide
(Image: Detroit – Shutterstock)