Team Scott’s mad scientist with a heart of gold

Published Dec. 11, 2024
By Senior Airman De'Quan Simmons
375th Air Mobility Wing

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --

Sitting in his innovation lab, 3-D printed parts line work tables while no less than a paycheck’s worth of empty energy drink cans filing every trashbin in site. Rovers and portable solar panels litter workbenches in preparation for being used in this mad scientist’s next problem-solving creation.

It’s as if Ironman’s Tony Stark needed a caffeine-fix as he Frankensteined automated robots for Air Force missions.

Master Sgt. Matthew Sabo poses in the Elevate office — U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Matthew Sabo, 375th Air Mobility Wing Elevate professional innovation lead, poses in the Elevate office on Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, Oct. 2, 2024. Sabo believes the future of innovation lies within programs like Elevate, which foster the talents of unique individuals capable of solving complex problems. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman De’Quan Simmons)

But it’s not Tony Stark’s lab—it’s the 375th Air Mobility Wing Elevate’s, co-led by Master Sgt. Matthew Sabo. Through Elevate--a program connecting Airmen’s challenges with external partners via AFWERX--Sabo champions innovative solutions to enhance Air Force operations.

Sabo’s contributions, like the Automated Medical Evacuation Rover and Signal Sentinel, reflect his drive to Elevates commitments.

The AMER is a patient-loading and transport robot. It reduces the manpower needed for patient transportation from several Airmen to one remote operator. It also reduces wear and tear on AE Airmen and has a load capacity of up to 400 pounds.

“AMER is meant to make your AE personnel last longer,” said Sabo. “You're virtually taking the manpower load down to simply one person, regardless of what the patient weighs and the equipment they have to have on them.”

In addition to enhancing aeromedical operations, Sabo’s ingenuity extends to critical communication capabilities.

Another creation of Sabos’ is the Signal Sentinel. This remote-controlled robot can establish Wi-Fi connections in areas where any common infrastructure is degraded or nonexistent without putting personnel in danger.

“We don't have to take a mess of people to go out and set up communications,” said Sabo. “We can upload a simple waypoint mission program and not just do it on one robot, but have swarms. We can build swarms of these rovers and let them go out while we stay put.”

In addition to his technological contributions to the Air Force, Sabo uses his expertise to support charitable causes close to his heart. Off duty and completely separate from any Air Force resources, Sabo builds radio-controlled lawnmowers and donates the excess profits to the Chromosome 18 Registry & Research Society, a global advocacy group serving individuals with chromosome 18 abnormalities to help them overcome challenges and live fulfilling lives. This cause is close to Sabo’s heart after his daughter, Andi, was diagnosed with 18p deletion syndrome.

Sabo learned about the registry when they received Andi’s diagnosis while stationed in Omaha, Nebraska.

“I don't make any money off of it–I take just enough to build the next one, and all the profits go down to San Antonio, Texas, where the registry is,” said the mad scientist with a heart of gold. “Each lawnmower can fund a blood microarray for other patients to see what parts of the 18th chromosome are missing so they know what issues to expect.”

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Matthew Sabo

Sabo's journey shows how a passion becomes a profession. Starting with summer robotics courses at Belleville Area College, he now focuses his career on innovation and automation, making impacts at work and home.

With his heart set on helping Airmen present and future, Sabo is now fixed on inspiring the next generation of people passionate about innovating.

“I think it's vital to inspire the next generation, and if we don't do it, I could see us falling behind or even failing rather quickly,” said Sabo. “Technology is here.”