Stampede Bringing Drones, VR ‘Live and Local’ in Mobile Showroom

Stampede Live and Local mobile showroom brings emerging technologies to 200-plus spots around the U.S. to help attendees try before they buy.

Leave a Comment
Stampede Bringing Drones, VR ‘Live and Local’ in Mobile Showroom

Stampede is known for its colorful presence at tradeshows such as InfoComm.

Ever since Stampede Presentation Products debuted its Drone Pavilion at InfoComm 2015, there’s been a collective shrug from the industry in regards to what purpose they might serve to AV integration.

And, while virtual reality and augmented reality are more readily embraced by integrators, they remain technologies that many believe are better suited for gaming applications and less useful in terms of efficiently completing work.

Stampede president and COO Kevin Kelly says he thinks the biggest obstacle for many in terms of adopting drones and virtual reality as part of their work lives these days is the cost of finding out if the technology is actually something they’d use.

So Stampede came up with a solution that lets them try it out first: the Stampede Live and Local mobile showroom. The tour will make 200-plus stops every year around the country, says Kelly, and will come equipped with drones, virtual reality goggles and other emerging technologies integrators should be thinking of incorporating into their daily lives.

Stampede has seen “robust sales” of drones since bringing them to Orlando a couple of years ago, says Kelly, noting integrators are now starting to understand the “bigger commercial opportunity” they represent. They’re ideal for overhead inspections, agriculture, construction and first responders, among other applications.

“These aren’t dreams,” says Kelly. “It’s happening now. The power of the overhead shot is like a selfie. It’s become the standard and it tells a story.”

DJI remains the “clear market leader” in the world of drones, says Kelly, but he’s noticed big companies including Intel are now entering the space. That tells him everything he needs to know about their long-term viability.

“They don’t enter a market if they don’t see an opportunity,” says Kelly.

Dates for the Stampede Live and Local mobile showroom tour will be announced soon.

If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our digital newsletters!