NEW ORLEANS — A Covington inventor has earned top honors in a competitive international engineering design contest for his proposed helicopter landing zone safety system and is seeking $75,000 in funding to develop and test the technology. Tom Cain, founder of Cain Global Innovations LLC and a volunteer with the Folsom Fire Department, won the Aerospace and Defense category of the Create the Future Design Contest in New York on Nov. 6.
His invention, LZ Guardian AI, is designed to help protect helicopter pilots, aircraft and ground crews during landings by identifying nearby hazards and helping first responders communicate critical safety information to approaching pilots. The proposed system uses portable beacons and a rugged touchscreen tablet to map landing zones, identify obstacles such as power lines and generate detailed instructions for pilots.
The award comes as Cain works to turn the design into a commercial product, with plans to develop and test the technology on the Northshore and eventually hire local engineers, developers and sales professionals. He is in discussions with a European heliport equipment company and prospective investors and is one of three finalists scheduled to pitch at the STartUP Northshore’s THE LAUNCHPAD competition Nov. 16 in Slidell.
First Responder Experience Inspires Innovation
Cain said the idea grew out of nearly three decades of experience as a first responder, beginning in law enforcement in 1996 and continuing through his volunteer work with the Folsom Fire Department…