Campus News

UK Part of Summit on Unmanned Aerial Systems

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 5, 2013) — Innovative use of drone technology is nothing new for University of Kentucky researchers, who have — for over 10 years — developed airplanes to fly on Mars and to measure atmospheric conditions affecting crop pollination and severe weather.

Drones, more formally referred to as Unmanned Aerial Systems, or UAS, will be the subject of a conference next Wednesday, Dec. 11 from 2 to 4 p.m., focusing on UAS for commercial applications in Kentucky.  The conference will be held at the Commerce Lexington building located at 330 E. Main Street in downtown Lexington.  Aimed at bringing together innovators, researchers, entrepreneurs, industry, and government officials, the conference will serve to connect those who may be interested in UAS.

The Kentucky Summit on UAS is jointly being sponsored by the UK College of Engineering, the Kentucky Commission on Military Affairs and the Von Allmen Center for Entrepreneurship and the Lexington ICC, which are a part of UK's Gatton College of Business and Economics.  The Lexington ICC is also a part of the statewide Kentucky Innovation Network partially funded by the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development.  

Featured speakers include John Walz, dean of the UK College of Engineering;  Suzanne Weaver Smith, the Donald and Gertrude Lester Professor of Mechanical Engineering in the College of Engineering, and director of the NASA Kentucky Space Grant and EPSCoR programs; Colonel (RET) David E. Thompson, executive director of the Kentucky Commission on Military Affairs; and, Warren Nash, director of the Lexington ICC.

Next Wednesday's program lists three major objectives:

  1. To raise awareness of UAS developments nationwide and UAS opportunities in Kentucky.
  2. To build a UAS community of business, academic and government leaders in Kentucky.
  3. To gauge interest in formation of a Kentucky chapter of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI).

Presentations and displays will feature UAS commercial applications from precision agriculture to safety to infrastructure, the national plan and timeline for allowing commercial UAS flight testing and operation in the National Air Space (NAS), Kentucky’s available aerospace workforce, including military veterans, and education pipeline, and static displays of research and commercial systems, among others.

Here is a list of confirmed displays at this time:

  •  Drone Systems
  • Theta Tech Solutions 
  • Prox Dynamics 
  • UK BLUECAT II UAV for characterizing atmospheric turbulence 
  • Institute for Aerospace Education

There is no cost to attend the event, but persons interested in attending are asked to register in advance at https://kentucky-summit-uas.eventbrite.com.

For additional information or to register a static display, please email: suzanne.smith@uky.edu.

Directions and available parking can be found at http://www.commercelexington.com/chamber/findouroffices.aspx.

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MEDIA CONTACT: Carl Nathe, 859-257-3200; carl.nathe@uky.edu.