Carlsbad Business Journal -March 2015

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CONSTRUCTION RAMPS UP What the return of speculative building means for Carlsbad’s economy

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JOURNAL

VOL. 32, NO. 3

AN AWARD-WINNING, MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE CARLSBAD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

MARCH 2015

FORGING THE C

arlsbad companies are working on the technologies of the future. No, we don’t have companies working on flying cars or jet packs (that we know of), but we have businesses that are working on technologies that could make “the future” a better place for us and our children. Here is a look at three companies whose work may change the way we do things.

5D ROBOTICS

BY JOSÉ A. LÓPEZ

Photo illustration by Edgar Rodriguez

From software that makes robots smarter, to a reliable water supply, Carlsbad businesses are leading the way in innovation

This Carlsbad-based company just celebrated its fifth anniversary last year, but their work on artificial intelligence and robotics (they create software that goes into robots) could have tremendous implications in commercial areas, from package delivery to transportation. The company’s software can be used across many platforms and allows humans to interact with robots intuitively and accurately manage their movements. As a military contractor, 5D Robotics developed a way to make land mine detectors to tag IEDs more accurately, using ultra wideband positioning and robotic behaviors to provide reliable, safe and accurate navigation. Its software allows robotic vehicles — from small wagonsized rovers to 6,000-ton tanks, BRUEMMER to follow at high speed, accounting for shifts in direction and even sudden stops. “One of the things we realized is that the biggest challenge to providing intelligent behavior to robots is position,” said the company’s CEO and Co-Founder David Bruemmer. He noted that while people might think GPS provides an accurate means for geolocation, it still leaves much to be desired, since it doesn’t work indoors and is too inaccurate for tasks that require a higher level of exactitude, such as landmine detection.

5934 Priestly Drive 5934 Priestly Drive Carlsbad, CA 92008 Carlsbad, CA 92008

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SEE FUTURE, Page 8

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Silvergate Bank gets a makeover inside and out Growing your business with a sense of family and community Towards the end of 2014, you may have noticed that construction on the Carlsbad Desalination Project reached the corner of Faraday Avenue and El Camino Real, right in front of the Silvergate Bank Carlsbad branch location. VP/Branch Manager Ted Peña took this opportunity to refresh the bank’s appearance with some tree trimming, new asphalt and a fresh coat of paint. “We even relocated the ‘For Lease’ sign in front of our building so our current and future customers knew we weren’t

going anywhere,” said Peña, who joined Silvergate Bank this past September after a 38-year career as a business development professional, business owner and consultant. Besides the exterior improvements, the Carlsbad branch has strengthened its team with experienced and friendly team members to better serve its customers. “I’m delighted to be a part of a terrific branch team led by Sarah Davis, branch service manager and cash management expert who moved from Silvergate Bank’s corporate office to Carlsbad last summer. We joined Karen Lindberg, customer service supervisor who has been with the bank since the branch’s opening in 2011. Mayra Saray, universal banker, joined the Carlsbad team this past summer, bringing 10 years of banking experience and providing strong bilingual skills,” added Peña.

Silvergate Bank’s team includes, from left, Ted Peña, Sarah Davis, Rebecca Moore and Karen Lindberg. The surfing decorations were inspired by the love that bank Chairman Dennis Frank has for the sport.

SEE SILVERGATE Page 12


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