Thrive
AI company opens an office at Tampa International Airport
Soteron.AI uses LiDAR to create 3D models of spaces.
California-based technology company Sotereon.AI has moved its corporate headquarters to the SkyCenter One building on Tampa International Airport (TPA) property. It began to operate at the facility about a month ago.
The organization, which was founded in 2017, focuses on creating spatial intelligence systems – utilizing LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) and artificial intelligence technologies.
It develops products for airports, public venues, rail, homeland security and critical infrastructure to help improve operational efficiency and safety.
Sotereon has had a working relationship with Tampa International since 2023; it has a seven-year agreement with the airport.
Moving to the property will foster better collaboration between team members and TPA staff, said Sotereon founder and CEO Patrick Blattner.
“Tampa International has always been tech forward,” he explained. “I needed an airport to be a lab to develop our products.”
Its flagship Overwatch platform is being implemented at different locations around the premises.
The organization, which has leased a 6,500-square-foot space at the facility, will relocate its employees from California and hire additional team members. Blattner also plans to provide internships to foster local talent.
In addition to TPA, Sotereon works with Denver International Airport, San Francisco International Airport and Nashville International Airport, among others.
LiDAR technology, which uses lasers to help create 3D models of a space, has made it possible to see areas of the airport from a bird’s-eye view. Sensors are able to show the positions of objects such as trucks and baggage carts in real time.
The amount of sensors in a room depends on how many obstructions are in view because it’s a line of sight technology, Blattner said. Artificial intelligence allows the data to be analyzed quickly.
To exemplify, LiDAR sensors can monitor crowd flows. As a result, this can help airport officials reduce cramming in congested areas like terminals and tram stops. Data can be the catalyst for operational changes to improve the overall customer experience, said Sotereon chief strategy officer Jodie Brinkerhoff.
LiDAR can also help determine if any unwelcomed visitors are trying to enter the property so that law enforcement can be alerted immediately, Blattner added. Additionally, it can detect corridors where people are speeding on the property.
“The technology is spitting out 10 positions per object per second and all of that is going through our back end,” he explained. “With artificial intelligence, we can then tie it all together.”
Blattner has years of experience developing tracking solutions, becoming the chief product officer of the technology company iinside in 2011. He collaborated with the Geek Squad, Best Buy’s service subsidiary, to use Bluetooth devices to monitor customers in stores.
Eventually, he began to create products for airports utilizing Bluetooth, Wi-Fi sensors, optical and infrared cameras. LiDAR technology has made it possible to create a more singular platform and has eliminated challenges with earlier systems, Blattner explained.
