3rd annual drone summit to take place in Fayetteville, Little Rock

Arkansas Transportation ReportNews Briefs

by Talk Business & Politics staff ([email protected]) March 8, 2019 4:40 pm 394 views 

The University of Arkansas on Tuesday (March 12) will host the third annual Arkansas Drone/Unmanned Aircraft Systems Summit in Fayetteville and Little Rock.

Drone experts will discuss compliance with the Federal Aviation Administration, homeland security regulations and how drones can help in research and their role in emergency response. The summit will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, with sessions at the Don Tyson Center of Agricultural Sciences in Fayetteville and at the Walton Executive Education Center in downtown Little Rock. The Fayetteville sessions will be simulcast live to the Little Rock location, and the Little Rock sessions will be simulcast to the Fayetteville location.

Unmanned aircraft systems, or drones, were first used by the military but have become useful tools in commercial operations, research, recreational, agricultural and law enforcement. Richard Ham, assistant director of the Master of Science in operations management and engineering management programs, leads the UA’s drone program.

“There are not many events in the nation where you can find cutting-edge information presented by recognized experts in academe, agriculture, law enforcement, aviation and industry,” Ham said. “As the state’s land-grant university, we are chartered to serve the citizens of Arkansas and improve their lives, and this summit is a way to do that by distilling the information we teach on campus in our foundations and remote sensing courses, and in new courses emerging around the state.”

Following are some of the sessions at the summit:

  • Machine learning and artificial intelligence using drones
  • Comparison of thermal plant presentations between night and daytime
  • Navigation with GPS and machine learning models
  • Drone use in earthquake and crisis management assessment
  • Open question session on the future, vision and new developments

A drone demonstration will take place at Agri Park in Fayetteville from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday (March 13). Attendees in Little Rock can meet with vendors at the Walton Executive Center during that time.

Space is limited but registration is free. Link here for registration.