ACADEMIC-INDUSTRYUNMANNEDAIRCRAFTSYSTEMS(UAS)FORUM
SYRACUSEUNIVERSITYMAY3,2017
1:00PM–5:30PM
AttheSyracuseCenterofExcellenceinEnvironmentalandEnergySystems
727EastWashingtonStreet
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EXECUTIVESUMMARYTheCentralNewYork (CNY) region is quicklybecoming thehub toUnmannedAircraft Systems (UAS)research andmarket-based activity. Home to one of only six Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)approvedtestsites,multipleUASrelatedmanufacturingandtechnologybusinesses,arangeofresources,facilities,andexpertise,CNYispositionedtoexertanoutsizedleadershiproleintheUASindustry.
On May 3, 2017, more than 65 representatives fromconsulting, aerospace, engineering, insurance, and imagingcompaniesmetwithSyracuseUniversityfaculty,alongwithrepresentatives from government agencies to advance theUAS conversation and explore how new collaborationsbetweenacademicandindustrypartnerscanbecatalyzedtoadvancethecurrentresearchandpractice.
Theparticipantsdiscussed:o LatestresearchandtechnologicaladvancementsconductedatSyracuseUniversityo IndustrialcapabilitiesinUpstateNYregiono Governmentalagenciesneedso Currentlimitationsinworkforcedevelopmento Theneedforindustryandresearch-informedUAS-relatedpolicyo Potentialcollaborationsbetweenfacultyexpertsandindustrialpartnersonresearchandpolicy
Specifictopicscoveredduringtheforumwere:o AutonomousoperationofUASbeyondlineofsightandunderunsteadyaerodynamicsconditionso OptimizationandcontrolofUASusingon-boardcomputersystemso AssessinghumaninjuriesfromUAVso Cybersecurityandprivacyo Applications of UAS in geosciences, aquatic monitoring, monitoring of building performance,
policeandinvestigativeworko Policyneeds
Participantswereinvolvedinformalandinformaldiscussionsandreachedthefollowingconclusions:o SyracuseUniversity offers significant opportunities for collaboration and can lead an effort in
advancingtheUASrelatedresearchandinformpolicyandpracticeo Industry is facing issues with talent acquisition that could be addressed locally with specific
courseworkdevelopmento Developmentofindustryandresearch-informedpolicyonUASiscriticallyimportantandahigh
priorityo Buildingfutureandstrengtheningcurrentrelationshipsbetweentheindustry,government,and
academiaareimportanttoadvancetheCNYregion
UASForum
Academia25
Industry35
Government7
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INTRODUCTIONLatesttechnologicaladvancementsinautomation,sensing,andcomputertechnologieshaveallowedforthedevelopmentofanewfieldofcommercialunmannedaerialvehicles(UAVs).AccordingtoareportbyCTAeconomicresearch,UAVsarepredictedtoreachonemillionflightsadayinthenexttwodecades.TheuseofUAVs forvarious commercialapplicationspresentsnewcontrolandnavigationchallenges,which inturnaredrivingresearch inunmannedaerialsystems(UASs)technologies.TheapplicationofUAS technologies necessitates the development of applied policy and regulations. Therefore, acomprehensiveapproachtoUASeducationandresearchisneededtomergetechnologicaldevelopment,applications,policyandregulations.
TheCentralNewYork(CNY)regionisquicklybecomingoneofthecentersforUASresearch.In2013,theFederal Aviation Administration (FAA) selected CNY region to host one of the six sites in the US fordevelopmentandtestingofUAVsthatwillbecapableofflyingautonomouslyandpreventingcollisions.The region also hosts multiple UAS related manufacturing and technology companies and has theresources,facilities,andexpertisetoleadtheUASindustrynationallyinthecomingyears.
Astrongcollaborationamongindustry,academia,andgovernmentwillhelpadvancetheCNYregion.ThepurposeoftheforumwastobringtogetherexpertsinUAStechnologies,usersofthesetechnologies,aswellaspolicymanagersandeducatorstopresenttheirlatestadvancementsanddiscusshowtoincreasethelocalcapacityinUAS.
WORKSHOPAGENDATheforumwasheldonMay3,2017attheHeadquartersoftheSyracuseCenterofExcellence(CoE).Theforumwasorganizedintotwomainsections–academicpresentationandindustryhighlights.Duringthefirstpartoftheforum,facultyfromSyracuseUniversitypresentedtheirlatestresearch.Thepresentationsweresplitintothreetracks-applications,UAStechnologies,andeducation.Thesecondpartcomprisedofhighlightsof industryaccomplishmentsandneeds.The forumclosedwithageneraldiscussionandnetworkingsession.ParticipantshadtheopportunitytovisittherecentlyestablishedautonomousUASlaboratoryintheCoEbuilding.Apromotionalbrochure,highlightingSyracuseUniversityfacultyengaged
inUASresearchwasdistributedduringtheforum.ThebrochureisprovidedinAppendixI.
WORKSHOPPARTICIPANTSMorethan65participantsinterestedinUASconvenedonMay3.Theeventwasattendedby35industryrepresentatives, 25 representatives from Syracuse University, and 7 representatives from localgovernment agencies. The industry representatives came from a range of companies interested indevelopingorapplyingUAStechnologies,suchasengineering,consulting,construction,sensing,cyber-securing,imaging,insurance,lawenforcement,andpilottrainingcompanies.AdetailedlistofattendeesisprovidedinAppendixII.
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SUMMARYOFPRESENTATIONS
The participants were greeted by Dean Dahlberg, Dean of the College of Engineering and ComputerScience.DeanDahlbergreaffirmedthecommitmentoftheCollegeofEngineeringandComputerScienceforresearchanddevelopmentintheUAStechnologiesandapplications.ShestressedtheimportanceofsafeintegrationofUAVsintothenationalairspaceandthepotentialofCNYregiontoleadbyadvancingthetechnologicaldevelopment,security,andpolicy.
DR.GURDIPSINGHASSOCIATEDEANOFRESEARCH,COLLEGEOFENGINEERINGANDCOMPUTERSCIENCE
Dr.SinghprovidedanoverviewoftheUASfieldandhisvisiontotakeacomprehensiveapproachtoUASresearchandeducation,combiningtechnologydevelopmentwithUASapplicationsandpolicyanalysis.Heexpandedon theapplicationofUAS for scientific, commercial andmilitarypurposesandhow thisdrivesnewsensing,control,andnavigationchallenges,whichinturnaredrivingfurtherresearchinUAStechnologies. Dr. Singh talked about the importance of each application area to address policy andregulationissues.HepresentedasummarydiagramofSyracuseUniversity’scapabilities.
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DR.LAURACONDON,ASSISTANTPROFESSOR,DEPARTMENTOFCIVILANDENVIRONMENTALENGINEERING
Dr.CondonpresentedanoverviewofaninterdisciplinaryworkdonebetweentheDepartmentofCivilandEnvironmental Engineering and Earth ScienceDepartment.With her colleague, Dr. Kelleher, they areutilizingUAVsinenvironmentalmonitoring.TheteamisusingsmallUAVstoobtainimagesofdifferentland surfaces, determine zones of groundwater discharge, characterize turbidity plumes during highintensityrainevents,andobtaina3Dvisualizationoflandforms.Todate,theyhavesuccessfullymappedturbidityplumesatSkaneatelesLake,NY;usedimage-basedrenderingtechniquestovisualizeChimneyBluffs State Park, NY; and determined groundwater discharge with thermal imagery at far-to-reachmudboilsinTully,NY.
Thermalimagerytolocalizeareasofgroundwater-surfacewaterinteractioninTullyarea,NY
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DR.TAREKRAKHAASSISTANTPROFESSOR,SCHOOLOFARCHITECTURE
Dr.RakhaprovidedacomprehensivesynopsisoftheapplicationofsmallUAVsforassessmentofbuildingenergy performance. His research team developed a methodology for employing a UAS platform toconductrapidperformancediagnosticsofbuildingenvelopeusingthermal imaging.Acomputervisionalgorithm, specifically developed for this application with research partners in computer science,autonomously processes the thermal images. The software recognizes anomalies suchinfiltration/exfiltration, thermal bridges, and insulationdeterioration. The approachDr. Rakhauses toaugmentbuildingenergyauditsislesstime-consuming,cheaper,andsafer.Dr.RakhaexpressedtheneedforachangeinthecurrentFAAregulationstoallowawideruseofthisapproachinbuildinginspection.
HeatLeakageDetectiononSyracuseUniversity’sSouthCampus
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DR.SENEMVELIPASALARASSOCIATEPROFESSOR,DEPARTMENTOFELECTRICALENGINEERINGANDCOMPUTERSCIENCE
Dr.VelipasalarpresentedanoverviewofseveralprojectsrelatedtoautonomousnavigationofUAVsandautonomous aerial building inspection. Dr. Velipasalar and her students have developed computeralgorithms to process point cloud data as well as RGB images to control the altitude of UAVs,autonomously detect and track safe landing zones, and detect open doorways and other objects ofinterestintheenvironment.TheteamplanstoimplementthesealgorithmsonanembeddedunitontheUAVitself.Anothercomputervisionalgorithm,developedbyDr.Velipasalarandherstudents,performsheat leakage detection on building structures from thermal images, which are captured by a UAVequippedwithaninfraredcamera.
LandingAreaDetection HorizontalPlaneDetection
HeatLeakageDetection
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DR.YANGWANG
ASSISTANCEPROFESSOR,SCHOOLOFINFORMATIONSTUDIES
Dr.WangpresentedhisworkonprivacyissuesrelatedtotheuseofUAVs.HeprovidedsummaryresultsabouttheperceptionofthepublicanddroneoperatorsontheuseofcommercialUAVs.Dr.Wangfoundaninterestingobservationthatthepublicdoesnotseeprivacyissueswhensomeonetakesaphotowithacellphoneoriftheyareobservedbyasurveillancecamerabutaredisturbedwhenadronefliesoverthemortheirproperty.Havingapriordisclosurethattherecordingisoccurringappearstobeimportant.Ontheotherside,thedroneoperatorsbelievethattheyareoperatingtheUAVssafelyandrespectfully.Dr.WangsharedthattheFederalTradeCommissionisalsointerestedinlookingintothepotentialimpactofUAVusageontheprivacyofordinarycitizens.
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DR.AMITSANYALASSOCIATEPROFESSOR,DEPARTMENTOFMECHANICALANDAEROSPACEENGINEERING
Dr.Sanyalpresentedhisworkonautonomous,non-linearnavigationandcontrolofUAVsusingon-boardtrajectorygenerationandnon-linearstablemotionestimation.Hedevelopedalgorithmsandnumericallyvalidated them to assure that UAVs can autonomously navigate under difficult weather and lightingconditions.Hebrieflydescribedtheautonomousflightcontrolunit(autopilot)thathisresearchgroupisbuilding for small UAVs. He discussed the development of the UAV Lab at the Syracuse Center ofExcellence,whichallowscompletetestingforautonomousguidance,navigation,andcontrolofUAVsinacontrolled environment. The lab is equipped with a sophisticated optical tracking system anddecentralizedwirelessadhocnetwork(WANET)forreal-timetelemetry.Dr.Sanyalopenedhislabfortheparticipantsfollowingtheofficialpresentations.
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DR.MARKGLAUSERPROFESSOR,DEPARTMENTOFMECHANICALANDAEROSPACEENGINEERING
Mr.JacobConnors,aMSstudentofDr.Glauser,presentedanoverviewoftheworkDr.Glasuserandhisteam performs to determine the injury impact on humans from failing UAVs during flight. The teamrecreatesUAVdropsincontrolledenvironmentandmodelstheseverityoftheimpactbytheamountofenergydissipatedduringtheimpact.Aseparateprojectstudiedthedirectimpactonhumansusingcrashdummies.TheteamisinterestedinstudyingtheenvironmentalconditionsandaerodynamicpropertiesofUASthatcontributetoUAVfailures.
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DR.UTPALROYPROFESSOR,DEPARTMENTOFMECHANICALANDAEROSPACEENGINEERING
Dr.Roypresentedacomprehensiveoverviewofaninter-disciplinaryprojectconductedwithfacultyfromMechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Computer Science, andPhysics.The teamworkedon thedevelopmentofanautonomousUAS that canbeused for scientificapplications,suchasaquaticmonitoring.Thecomputer-controlledvehicleoperationisdoneviaacloud-basedsystemwheretheflightdataisstoredandusedforoptimizationoftheflighttrajectory.Collision-avoidanceisachievedwithaspecially-developedalgorithmusingnavigationandsensingsystems.
Dr.RoypresentedasecondprojectonthedevelopmentofeducationalmaterialsthatcanbeusedtoteachundergraduateandgraduatestudentsaboutdesignandcontrolofUAVs.Inoneofthemodules,studentswilldisassembleandassembleaquadcopter.Inalatermodule,studentswillmodifyanexistingdesignorworkondesigninganewquadcopter.Upperclasseswillengagestudentsinalgorithmdevelopmentfortrajectoryoptimizationandcollisionavoidance.
Real-timeAutonomousObstacle/CollisionAvoidance
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DR.DAWITNEGUSSEYPROFESSOR,DEPARTMENTOFCIVILANDENVIRONMENTALENGINEERING
Dr.NegusseypresentedhisvisionoftheapplicationofUAVsinmonitoringcivilinfrastructureaswellthedevelopmentof competency in theuseofUAVs forcivilandenvironmentalengineeringstudentsandfaculty.Heprovided several exampleshow smallUAVs canbe applied in bridge inspection, damwallinspection,anddelineatingthedamagecausedfromlandslides.Particularly,hereferredtoa1993massivelandslide,whichoccurredintheTullyarea,southofSyracuse,NYwhenanaccessroadwascoveredwith16feetofmudandtheareawasdifficulttoreach.Dr.Negusseysuggestedthatwithtoday’stechnologiesandUAVadvancementstheextentofdamagecanbedeterminedmuchfasterandwithhigherprecision.Dr. Negussey shared his vision of the use of small UAVs in some civil engineering classes such as asurveyingclasstakenbysophomorestudents.
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INDUSTRYHIGHLIGHTSANDDISCUSSION
TheindustryhighlightsessionwasopenedwithanoverviewpresentationbyMr.DavidWhitakerfromGryphonSensors.Mr.WhitakerdiscussedtheUpstateRevitalizationInitiative,thedevelopmentoftheUTMCorridorfortestingofUAVs,andtherecentlyappointedAdvisoryCommitteethatwilloverseethedesignandconstructionofthenewtestingfacilityinCNY.
Mr. Kevin Robinson from LockheedMartinprovidedanoverviewof thecompany and their involvement inthe development of unmannedsystems for military, lawenforcement, and commercialpurposes. He mentioned that theUnmannedSystemsaredevelopedinOwegoatLockheed’s2600employeefacility.
Mr.LarryBrinker,ExecutiveDirector&GeneralCounseloftheNUAIRAllianceprovidedanoverviewofthe New York based coalition. NUAIR is comprised ofmore than 100 private and public entities andacademic institutions working together to operate and oversee UAS at test ranges in New York,MassachusettsandMichigan.HesharedabriefvideoonthecapabilitiesatGriffissInternationalAirport,a home to UAS testing, diverse airspace, new operations center, variety of technology systems, andseasonedflightdepartment.
Mr.RobBrownfromSAABCompanydiscussedcompany’sinvolvementinthetraditionalaviationmarketandrecently,inthesmallUAVsmarket.ThecompanyworksonautomationandisinterestedinstudiesthatevaluateandpredicthowUASwilldisruptthecommercialairtrafficaswellaswaystomanagesmallUAStraffic.
SkyOps,oneofthe2016GENIUSNYwinners,acourse-licensingcompanywasrepresentedbyitsfounder,Mr.BrianPitre.SkyOpsprovidestrainingonFAAregulations,datacollectionforapplications,aswellasteaches flying skills. Current clients are law enforcement agencies, fire fighters, and academia. Thecompanyworkswith15collegesinfivedifferentstates.TheyareanofficialeducationpartnerofPixRG.Most recently, Mr. Pitre worked with faculty at Rochester Institute of Technology on curriculumdevelopment.Hedevelopedafour-creditelectivecourseonsmallUAVs.
Mr. PierreMorrisseau, CEOofOneGroup,a Syracuse-based insurance, riskmanagement, and humanresourcesolutionsproviderdiscussedtheimportanceofinsuranceinbusinessdevelopment.OneGroup
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isdevelopingspecializeddroneinsuranceproductsforbusinessesaswellasindividualsinterestedinusinglatesttechnologiesandmitigatingrisk.
Omnimesh, a startup company and one of the GENIUS NY winners, was represented by the ChiefMarketingOfficer,Mr.Matt Snyder.Omnimeshhasdevelopedawifimesh technologyand test flightplatforms.TheyareworkingwithNUAIRgrouptofurtherdevelopmentofautonomousflightcapabilities.Mr.Snydersharedhisbiggestchallenge–lackofskilledworkforce.Hecontinuedthattalentacquisitionisamajor issueforastartup likethem.Omnimeshwillbehappytopartnerwithother industriesandacademiaforthedevelopmentoftheskilledworkforce.
Mr.VijaySrinivas,DirectorofAssuranceLabrepresentedAssuredInformationSecurity(AIS)andprovidedoverviewofthecompanyportfolio.MuchofthecompanybusinessiswiththeDepartmentofDefense.The company is interested in growing the commercial side of AIS, particularly cyber security systemsrelatedtoUASplatformsandInternetofThings(IoT).ThecompanyisalsointerestedinworkingonUASpolicytodefinesecuritystandardsandmeasures,andbeabletoprovidedesignconsultation.AIScurrentlyoffersanassessmentcourse.Duringthecourse,participantsassessthesecurityaspectsofUASandlearnhowtomitigaterisks.
RepresentativesfromtheNYSPolicepresentedthelawenforcementprospectiveoftheuseofsmallUAVs.NYSPolicehasrecentlypurchasedsmallUAVsforcollisionreconstruction.Whenacollisionoccursonthehighway,collisionreconstructiontakesseveralhours,includinglaneclosurethatcomescostly-$350Ktoclose one lane of the highway for one hour. According to preliminary tests, the time for collisionreconstructioncanbedecreasedto16minutesifUAVsareused.Inadditiontocostandtimebenefits,theutilizationofUAVswilldecreasetheexposureandriskofthepersonnel.NYSPolicyisexploringtheopportunityofusingUAVsindisasterresponse.Inthelongterm,NYSPolicywouldliketoestablishoneUASaircraftperzoneinNYState.NYSPoliceiscollaboratingwithNUAIR.
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APPENDIXI
UASBROCHURE
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APPENDIXII
LISTOFPARTICIPANTS
FIRSTNAME LASTNAME AFFILIATION
William Abrams Omni-MeshMatt Androsko AuburnPoliceRoger Anthony AuburnPoliceBrian Barris SkyTubeLiveStephen Benson AndroComputationalSolutionsEd Bogucz SyracuseCoELawrence Brinker NUAIRRobert Brown SAABSENSISShawn Butler AuburnPoliceCarlos Caicedo SyracuseUniversityChetna Chianese SyracuseCoEMark Coleman SyracuseUniversityLaura Condon SyracuseUniversityJacob Connors SyracuseUniversityJacqueline Corbett SyracuseUniversityTeresa Dahlberg SyracuseUniversityBob DelZoppo David DiMaggio SyracuseUniversityKevin Dorrian Rohde&SchwarzJared Duffy NYSPoliceLance Dumigan TheOrionMissionSam Edelstein TheCityofSyracuseWilliam Fletcher HALETECHNOLOGYINPRACTICEBrian Foley AVSTRATEGIESKyle Foley AVStrategiesGary Girzadas SyracuseUniversityEric Haines NUAIRJoseph Hernon SyracuseUniversityBurak Kakillioglu SyracuseUniversityMatthew Legere HarrisCorp.Amanda Liberty SyracuseUniversityMichael Lorenc LorencInstituteforScienceandTechnolgyYantao Lu SyracuseUniversityKristin Mannion AlvinaGroupJanet Marsden SyracuseUniversity
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FIRSTNAME LASTNAME AFFILIATIONA.T. McLean SKYTOPAERIALSKenneth McVearry ArchitechtureTechnologyCorp.Eric Miller NUAIRTim Monroe SaratogaAerialMediaJeff Morganti SAABSENSISPierre Morrisseau OneGroupBill Neely ONEGroupDawit Negussey SyracuseUniversityMike Novakowski CenterStateCEOJae Oh SyracuseUniversityDavid Olney NYSPoliceDaniel Pacheco SyracuseUniversityJonathan Parry TechGardenKeli Perrin SyracuseUniversityBrian Pitre SKYOPTarek Rakha SyracuseUniversityMichael Ransom SyracuseUniversityKevin Robinson LockheedMartinMichael Roppo SyracuseUniversityAmit Sanyal SyracuseUniversitySamuel Savage SyracuseUniversityMatt Snyder Omni-MeshVIjay Srinivas AssuredInformationSecurityNeil Strodel OneGroupSvetoslava Todorova SyracuseUniversityPramod Varshney SyracuseUniversitySenem Velipasalar SyracuseUniversityJames Waller Yang Wang SyracuseUniversitySara Watson SyracuseUniversityDaniel Wears OnondagaCountyLaura Welch SyracuseUniversityDave Whitaker GryphonSensorsYaxing Yao SyracuseUniversityJensen Zhang SyracuseUniversity
