PennDOT’s drone advisory task force advised by felon
Hats off to investigative reporter Paul Van Osdol of Pittsburgh Action News. The channel has undercovered the criminal record of one of PennDOT’s advisors on bridge inspection.
Justin Melanson is a cofounder of drone company Aeras and claims that PennDOT had full knowledge of his record and that he also advises Police drone operators.
In 2018, Melanson was convicted on multiple felony counts of refusing to perform services after receiving payment. He was sentenced to up to two years in prison and ordered to pay $31,000 in restitution. He spent 11 months behind bars and was released in February 2019. In 2015, Melanson got probation after pleading guilty to similar charges. He was ordered to pay $13,000 in restitution.
Did the company name sound familiar? Aeras were the folks with Covid fogging drones.
Since 2020, AERAS has been an international leader in charged-electrostatic drone innovation. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, AERAS is an emerging technology company specializing in drone applications.
The company challenges the standards of drone technology with its revolutionizing research. Its expertise empowered the company to develop and build new charged-electrostatic technology that changes the rules for drone usage.
Having patented the only drone in the world operating with a charged-electrostatic disbursement system, AERAS was the first company in the United States certified by the FAA to use drones specifically to sanitize outdoor venues against COVID-19. Its AER-Force technology powered the first charged-electrostatic spraying system integrated on a drone, used to sanitize the 2021 Kentucky Derby and PPG Paints Arena. AERAS’ technologies and suite of products have created a new standard in large-scale sanitization.
But AERAS isn’t just about sanitization.
Their research and development division has positioned the company at the forefront of utilizing drones to protect human life while preserving the environment. That means finding innovative ways to use drones for search and rescue, power washing and environmentally responsible crop management. AERAS’ Green Initiative combines using titanium dioxide solution with a charged-electrostatic distribution.
AERAS isn’t just at the forefront of drone development. It’s setting the standard for tomorrow.
PUT THE TECHNOLOGY IN THE HANDS OF GOOD PEOPLE AND WATCH THEM CHANGE THE WORLD FOR THE BETTER.
NICKBRUCKER
