Behind the Blue: UK's Suzanne Smith Talks Drones

LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 14, 2016) — The drone revolution continues to impact numerous industries — photography, real estate and public safety are just a few. But drones are also presenting unprecedented opportunities for research in numerous other fields like agriculture, atmospheric science, biology, engineering and more.

University of Kentucky faculty and students have been at the forefront of using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for research and recently received a blanket certificate of authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct research with drones across the nation.

At the same time, safety remains a top priority and a new UK drone policy will ensure compliance and well-being of all campus community members.

In this week’s edition of the “Behind the Blue” podcast, UK College of Engineering's Suzanne Smith, director of the UK Unmanned Systems Research Consortium, discusses UK's research efforts using UAVs, and their impact on the Commonwealth from industry to entertainment.

Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” each week. UK’s latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be features, along with the most important news impacting the university.

You can download this edition and others of "Behind the Blue" at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/behind-the-blue/id1114911777?mt=2#episodeGuid=8da5caa459bdb1dd190505ea1549257c, or search "Behind the Blue" in your Podcasts app.

If you have questions or comments about this or any other episode of 'Behind the Blue', email us at BehindTheBlue@uky.edu, or Tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue.  

UK is the University for Kentucky. At UK, we are educating more students, treating more patients with complex illnesses and conducting more research and service than at any time in our 150-year history. To read more about the UK story and how you can support continued investment in your university and the Commonwealth, visit uky.edu/uk4ky. #uk4ky #seeblue

MEDIA CONTACT: Whitney Harder, 859-323-2396, whitney.harder@uky.edu