Technology Leaders Join Forces to Boost Aerospace and Defense Worker Safety

Sentinel Occupational Safety, Inc. and Cornerstone Research Group, Inc. (CRG) have announced a partnership to enhance Sentinel’s SafeGuard® platform with advanced features that improve worker safety and provide valuable data for employers.

CRG will incorporate multiple federal research contract technologies into a premium offering of the SafeGuard solution. This new feature set is expected to support applications for use by firefighters, flightline workers, warfighters, and other high-risk occupations where harmful exposure is a critical safety concern.

“This collaboration is a perfect fit for our long-term growth strategy of leveraging innovative technologies to protect and enrich the lives of those at risk,” said Zachary Kiehl, CEO of Sentinel, which began in 2020 as a spin-off of human-centered engineering firm Aptima.

“We have continuously improved our range of offerings to meet customer needs,” said Kiehl. “The technologies CRG brings to the table are a terrific complement to our current capabilities and will create a new level of service offering for our growing list of early adopters.”

Exposure to hazardous gases, particulates, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can have critical effects on an individual’s health and are difficult to monitor real-time. Occupational and military environments have a need for customized solutions to monitor these environmental hazards, along with the individual’s physiological and locational data.

“We are excited to further our collaboration with Sentinel to provide enhanced safety products for those who work to protect us every day,” said Chris Hemmelgarn, President of CRG, a company at the forefront of creative problem solving for high-tech solutions. “This relationship will allow us to increase our reach for the unique capabilities being developed right here in southwest Ohio.”

The partnership is expected to extend Sentinel’s commercial reach and feature offering while providing a transition path for CRG’s research and development efforts. The market availability of this critical safety product will have long-term implications for many industries.

“It is our responsibility to develop and propel innovative technologies into both government and commercial markets, oftentimes working with valuable partners like Sentinel,” said Mark Cridge, team leader at CRG. “We are proud that the work we do can improve the health and save the lives of American troops, first responders, and other individuals who put themselves in potentially hazardous environments for the betterment of society.”

To learn more about Sentinel’s SafeGuard, visit SentinelOfSafety.com.

Rushlight Ventures moves to downtown Dayton amid expanded partnership

Cornerstone Research Group, Inc. (CRG) recently announced a new strategic relationship with sister company Rushlight Ventures. Under the terms of the agreement, Rushlight Ventures will have first rights of offer to commercialize all intellectual property generated by CRG. This significantly expands the relationship between the two entities, which are sister companies under Rushlight Assets, the parent holding company.

Rushlight Ventures plans to add multiple new hires as it anticipates taking on additional client companies.

“We plan to open an office in Dayton’s downtown Hub facility this spring, in addition to maintaining offices in Miamisburg,” said Rushlight Assets president Andrew Cothrel. “We will be positing multiple openings in January to grow the team.”

As part of the agreement, Rushlight Ventures also will perform a variety of commercialization support activities for CRG.

“The agreement with CRG is an important milestone for Rushlight Ventures,” said Cothrel. “It sets the stage to not only enable improved commercialization services to our sister company, but also allows Rushlight Ventures to begin to serve other clients with similar profiles. We intend to unlock a great deal of government-funded research value as we assist clients beyond CRG with their commercialization success.”

Read the Dayton Business Journal article here.

 

CRG applies for $7 million eAviation project thru the PDAC

Cornerstone Research Group, Inc. (CRG) has applied for significant funding for an eAviation project. CRG is applying to fully fund the $7 million project’s planning and studies processes through the Priority Development and Advocacy Committee (PDAC). PDAC, which is staffed by the Dayton Development Coalition, allows the community to set priorities when seeking funding from state and federal sources.

CRG, a leader in design and integration of quiet electric propulsion systems for experimental and prototype aircraft nearing transition to the field, is prepped to close gaps and further propel the expanding aviation market. CRG’s contribution is the development of unique quiet electric propulsion technology – its development supported by AFRL, IARPA, and other government and commercial entities – to address the needs of both defense and commercial electric aircraft.

With a five times lower noise footprint, the quiet electric ducted fan propulsors are applicable to a wide range of aircraft sizes for both commercial and defense usage. Products have already been demonstrated on multiple experimental and prototype U.S. Government aircraft. CRG also sells quiet propulsors commercially through its spin-off, Lectratek, LLC. Lectratek is a domestic supply chain and integration partner for eAviation powertrain components made in Ohio.

PDAC is tentatively scheduled to provide final recommendations for projects Feb. 10, 2023. At that time, government and private sector sources will respectively award funding based on PDAC recommendations.

See the Dayton Daily News article here.