ANDRO receives $50K FuzeHub grant for wireless project

ROME, N.Y. —Scientific research and development company ANDRO Computational Solutions, LLC, in collaboration with Mohawk Valley EDGE, has received a $50,000 prize under FuzeHub’s Manufacturing Grants Program and its Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund.

ANDRO will use the grant to conduct a pilot of “2nd Net,” a wireless rapid alert and intelligent emergency-management system for mitigating active threats in schools and public spaces.

“We already have a nationwide broadband emergency-management system called FirstNet operated by AT&T,” ANDRO President Andrew Drozd said in a press release. “The 2nd Net provides a secondary safety net, an extra layer of protection. With the exponential rise in school violence and active-shooter threats, an urgent needs exists for reliable personal communication devices that provide real-time situational awareness during crisis situations.”

With delays in response directly impacting people’s safety, 2nd Net utilizes military technology to fill the gap between rapid detection of an emerging threat and a lack of two-way communication and real-time situational awareness, Drozd said. Many solutions currently on the market lack features for rapid alert, communication, and coordination. ANDRO’s mesh networking expertise enables the roadmap for 2nd Net’s deployment in schools. It also draws on SPEARLink radio technology, which ANDRO’ developed for the Army.

“The idea is to ensure broad coverage 24/7, when and where it is needed, to rapidly alert all parties concerned, and assure sustainable communications to rapidly and reliably negate the threat,” Drozd said.

He anticipates one or more pilot projects under the grant program over the next nine to 10 months to install, test, and demonstrate the 2nd Net system in participating schools to gather performance metrics and improve performance toward achieving market readiness.

ANDRO operates a SPEARLink fulfillment center and seeks to expand its operations to serve the future 2nd Net market with help from the FuzeHub grant and other investors.

Mohawk Valley EDGE is collaborating to help develop a sustainable commercialization plan focused on manufacturing readiness and rolling out strategies to realize economic benefits, according to Tim Fitzgerald, Mohawk Valley EDGE VP of economic development.

“We hope to guide the steps toward manufacturability and profitability, including matchmaking support to ensure a successful project outcome,” Fitzgerald said.

FuzeHub sponsors multiple grant opportunities for small, startup, and mid-sized companies. The Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund provides over $1 million in annual allocations of direct assistance for manufacturing, research and development, technology, and entrepreneurial endeavors in support of activities designed to spur technology development and commercialization.