Vigilant Aerospace Named Top 4 Robotics and Automation Company in Fast Company’s 2026 Next Big Things in Tech Awards

FlightHorizon PILOT product recognized in the Robotics and Automation category for helping drones avoid collisions with other aircraft

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, UNITED STATES, October 7, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Vigilant Aerospace Systems today announced that it has been named one of the world’s most promising four Robotics and Automation companies in Fast Company’s 2026 Next Big Things in Tech awards. Fast Company highlights the company’s FlightHorizon PILOT product, “for bringing better situational airspace awareness to drones.” The technology is an onboard safety and collision avoidance system for drones based on two NASA patents and a US Air Force research project.

Now in its sixth year, Fast Company’s Next Big Things in Tech awards recognize emerging technologies with the potential to change how people work and live. According to the magazine, “[f]rom safer AI to smarter eyewear to space robots, these 145 innovations are shaping the future of business and life.”

For the 2026 awards, its editors and writers reviewed more than 1,000 applications to pick 145 winners across all categories. They considered each technology’s relevance, ingenuity, demonstrated progress, potential to scale and possible impact over the next five years.

The Fast Company article explained the Vigilant award: “As drones take on an increasing range of responsibilities, Vigilant Aerospace Systems aims to help them share the air with FlightHorizon PILOT. This hardware-software combination processes transponder signals from other aircraft, guiding uncrewed aerial vehicles away from other airspace users. Vigilant has also recently deployed a ground-based version for general-aviation airports to manage human- and robot-flown operations.”

Kraettli L. Epperson, CEO and co-founder of Vigilant Aerospace Systems, said: “We are honored to receive this recognition from Fast Company. As autonomous aircraft take on more work, they need a reliable way to detect and avoid other aircraft in the airspace. FlightHorizon PILOT brings that safety capability onboard and makes it automatic. Drones are an inevitable part of our future and our aim is to help the aviation industry integrate drones safely and keep everyone flying.”

Winners were selected through multiple rounds of evaluation and discussion over several months. According to Fast Company global technology editor Harry McCracken, “[t]o be a Next Big Things in Tech honoree, a project needs to start with a fresh idea and show signs of momentum, but it’s also about where it could go in the years to come. We want to spotlight innovations that will help shape the future of business and technology over the next five years.”

The recognition places Vigilant Aerospace among other 2026 winners like Algen Biotechnologies, Inc. which combines genetics and artificial intelligence to study disease and identify possible treatments; Emulate, Inc. which develops devices containing human cells that mimic aspects of organ function and could reduce the need for animal testing in drug development; and Synaptics, Inc. for their open-source Astra platform that brings real-time edge intelligence to home appliances, medical devices, and retail systems for millions of users.

Vigilant’s technology is based on two licensed NASA patents, and the system has been used in projects for NASA, the FAA and the U.S. Air Force, as well as at uncrewed aircraft test sites and flight corridors across the United States. For aircraft manufacturers and operators, FlightHorizon PILOT offers a way to bring traffic awareness and collision avoidance on board their aircraft as they prepare for new FAA regulations that allow for routine drone flights over long distances.



About Vigilant Aerospace Systems

Vigilant Aerospace is building the safety layer for the future of flight. Based on NASA-patented technology, its FlightHorizon software combines radar, aircraft tracking data and intelligent algorithms to detect air traffic, predict conflicts and provide automatic collision avoidance. Working with government, defense and commercial partners, the company helps drones fly beyond visual line of sight and safely share airspace with crewed aircraft. Its mission: make autonomous aviation safer, more scalable and practical for everyday use. Learn more at http://VigilantAerospace.com

About Fast Company

Fast Company is a leading business magazine and media brand covering innovation, technology, leadership, creativity, and design. Founded in 1995, it spotlights the people, companies, and ideas transforming industries and shaping the future of business. Its journalism explores how forward-thinking organizations compete, create, and drive change, inspiring readers to challenge convention and lead with purpose. Learn more at http://FastCompany.com

River Cordova
Vigilant Aerospace Systems, Inc.
+1 405-445-7224
rcordova@vigilantaerospace.com
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