First Weeks of April: Outreach and the State of the Technology

Closing in towards the end of the academic year, a serious of opportunities presented themselves during the first few weeks of April. These opportunities generally centered around UAS outreach, education, and development. While these sub-fields are generally tangential to the tasks of this capstone, as well as the quintessential UAS operator who is likely paid to accomplish a very specific task, they are as important as any other aspect of unmanned aviation. UAS is facing on ongoing identity crisis driven by misconceptions created out of privacy concerns of civilian UAS and the shadowy past of military unmanned aerial vehicles. People will naturally distrust unmanned aviation because they have been culturally predisposed to. Thus, UAS education and outreach is not only a means to enhance the common understanding of the advantages of drone technology, but imperative for the maintenance and perpetuity of the field's existence. For this reason, it should be the natural mission for every individual in the drone community to drive a healthy understanding of UAS in the populous, while also being receptive of any legitimate concerns for the technology.

Through my experiences, especially through April, the easiest way to grow trust with the general public is to make clear how UAS will impact their life for the better. In particular, driving exposure into the more obscure, more profound, and less direct (obvious) ways in which the technology will intercept their lives. The sheer volume and magnitude of ways UAS will benefit the average person during their life time justifies the technologies existence, but most people simply do not see past the obvious applications. Most people can relate to the concept of package delivery because the drone is front in center in that concept, directly visible in the interaction with the person. However, people generally do not make the connection with benefits in their life brought on by UAS that are more abstract. In fact, during Aviation Day (see further in blog post), I was often met with stunned expression when I explained that drones will lead to health benefits due to less pesticides used in crops, cleaner parks, better city planning, new ways to fuel a family car, provide new models of climate change, sustainably bring seafood to their plates, and lead to the generation of entire new forests.

In addition to outreach, it is imperative that the drone community continues development of UAS theory and academic understanding. This does not just mean scientific and academic publications, but that we, as a community, educate others on the state of our industry so that they can be more capable participators in the industry themselves. This can be simple things, such as teaching a class to would-be hobbyists on drone regulations. It is could also be more complex, such as leading a discussion with experienced commercial drone operators on the theoretical differences between small and large UAS operations. With how fast the UAS field grows, it is required that the theoretical aspects and understanding of UAV operations grows at a comparable rate. This is important not only for the assurance of safety and the inclusion of ethics of operations, but for the development of new effective means of operating UAVs. This month, I had come to realize that the Purdue University UAS major has enabled me to not only think critically regarding the current extent of drone technology and methods, but consider the theoretical building blocks of UAS abstractly, and fine tune my abilities as a good UAV pilot. This month was largely about sharing that information with others through outreach and education.

Purdue Aviation Day - 2019

Like the past few years, I planned and participated in Purdue Aviation Day, specifically the parts of the event centered around UAS. This year, we focused on a strong outreach goal in developing general understanding with the public in how drones will change their lives, versus just showing off our equipment and tools. Front and center was the opened UAS data lab, the classroom for AT419. At the front of the room, we displayed a large mural that myself and a few classmates made denoting various aspects of UAS and the fields that drones are currently helping with (Figure 1).

Figure 1: White Board Mural for Aviation Day

In addition to the mural, we had dozens of data products generated between AT409, AT419, and AT319 on all the computers as well as some research products. On the big screens, we had geospatial video project examples as well as manipulable 3D model and point cloud examples. Throughout the day, people would visit the room and we would share details about what the room was sued for, what the data on the screens was for, different ways drones are changing the world, and how drones may effect their lives personally. This prompted many very constructive conversations. Outside the room, we had posters on the wall showing how drone imagery is more detailed than Google Earth, and another with attached pens where guests could write how drones will change their lives. Out in the hallway, we had a display with some of our program's more prominent aircraft (figure 2).

Figure 2: The Aircraft Display for Aviation Day

Lectures and Presentations 

Around the time of aviation day I also had the opportunity to lecture for a few different classes. Below are the descriptions of each and a link to the associated presentation powerpoint.

AT319 Lecture on complex UAS - Being that AT319 students are the next cohort to be operating the complex aircraft of AT409 and AT419, I generated and presented a lecture on the intricacies of complex UAS operation. In particular, on how there is a categorical difference between how and when the workload of a flight crew is applied, and how there is a trade-off between survey capability and control over the operation. The lecture went very well and I think this is some of the first formal documentation of a UAS operational theory that I have generated. I will take this formal way of thinking about the issue into my future UAS operational endeavors and will perhaps do a more formal study of its potential. I plan to add to this presentation to create a complete lecture on complex UAS methods, as of now it is only a few slides and extremely discussion oriented. - Link Here

Lecture on UAS in Fisheries and Natural Resource Management- I was asked during aviation day to present a lecture of UAS applications in fisheries and natural resource management fields such as forestry. I created a presentation that mentions current and future uses, important considerations, sensor options, and unique aspects to aquatic remote sensing. This lecture was presented to a class of fishery students. - Link Here

Lecture on a Forestry Case Study  -Lecture was given to a group of remote sensing students on the specific UAS operational and processing considerations necessary in a complex woodlot near Purdue university, the McCormick Woodlot. - Link Here

In addition to these lectures, I will be presenting original research at the Polytechnic Research Conference on April 26 in the form of a poster.