Today I got to visit the Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Lab at the UMN!
I had originally signed up for a UMN CCE seminar “Drones: The ABC’s of UAVs” with the director of the University of Minnesota Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Laboratory Brian Taylor, but unfortunately the seminar (which was scheduled for tomorrow) was canceled due to low enrollment (apparently only 6 people signed up).
Here was the blurb on the seminar: “The two hour talk was about “Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), better known as drones, have been on the public’s radar because of their military applications, but they are also being used in more creative, and environmentally conscientious, ways. This seminar will explore not only the history of drones, but also their future (hint: cows are involved).
In this thought-provoking seminar, the director of the University of Minnesota’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Laboratory will explore the origins and historical applications of drones, as well as their potential use in farming and agriculture. Housed within the department of Aeronautics and Engineering, the UAV Lab has been at the forefront of drone research and development, and made significant contributions to the fuel efficiency, safety, and flight-related research of the vehicles. Presently, the Lab is partnering with state government and local businesses to investigate and develop civilian applications of UAVs, one of which is for the agriculture industry.
Precision agriculture will revolutionize farming. Currently, farmers must have manned vehicles or walk the fields themselves to assess crop, land, or cattle issues—a time-consuming process. Because drones are equipped with cameras, sensors, and other technology, they can quickly identify everything from insect problems to watering issues. They also can address, specifically, the use of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizer based on how much is needed in a particular area, thus saving the grower (and farming corporations) money from overuse of resources, and at the same time, reducing the stressful impact of agriculture on the environment.
The day of civilian drone use has arrived, from farming to Amazon shipments. Come learn how, and why, your future is changing right before your eyes.
LearningLife seminars embrace Socrates’s belief in the power of inquiry and exchange. Seminars begin with a one-hour presentation by the instructor, which is followed by an hour of engaged, critical discussion. Tuition includes refreshments” (https://register.cce.umn.edu/Course.pl?sect_key=188413&web_sec=&cmp_cd=TUCL).
It very sad that they canceled the seminar, as I was looking forward to learning more about actual physical drones, as I have been researching drone usage for the past few years. So I emailed Brian and asked him if I could have a tour of the UAV Lab and he kindly said yes.
Here is some info on the UAV Lab: “The purpose of the Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Laboratories, within the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, is to research, develop, and support a world class, open-source, and low cost aeronautics research infrastructure to enable research and education within the Department and world wide. Within the Department, our infrastructure is used to conduct flight research on navigation, guidance, and flight control systems to enable future commercial aircraft and small UAVs that are significantly safer and more fuel efficient. The UAV Laboratories supports education by bringing real-world aircraft development and flight testing experiences into undergraduate and graduate level courses as well as having about 20 undergraduate and 10 graduate research assistants working on research projects at any given time.
Beyond the Department, our infrastructure is used for conducting leading-edge aeronautics research. We work with academia, local businesses, and Minnesota state agencies to explore potential UAV uses and opportunities, such as precision agriculture, as well as developing a framework for safely integrating UAVs into the national airspace” (http://www.uav.aem.umn.edu/).
The UAV Lab was smaller than I had expected, but they had lots of very cool drones (aka tiny airplanes) all over the place. I asked all sorts of questions and probably talked too much. Apparently they fly them in the summer and the winter on an abandoned runway south of the cities. A very cool tour. Thanks Brian!
