CALIFORNIA, MD – The University of Maryland’s (UMD) UAS Test Site, which in 2019 conducted the first-ever drone delivery of a live organ for transplant, is undergoing a transformation. As of October 20, 2022, it will be known as the UMD UAS Research and Operations Center (UROC). The facility, which is part of the UMD aerospace engineering department, will continue to operate from its headquarters at the St. Mary’s County Regional Airport in California, Maryland. The change reflects the full scope of the work done over the years, said its director, John Slaughter. “We do much more than conduct tests, although they are part of many of our projects. We support a wide range of research involving aerial autonomy, we provide operational and technical expertise, and we conduct educational and outreach activities,” he said. “We’re also spearheading regional efforts aimed at ultimately integrating uncrewed aircraft into the national airspace. ”Recent projects include the employment of customized drones and payloads to research their utility in calibrating satellite payloads used in measuring sea ice thickness. Those efforts include the Chesapeake Bay UAS Route Network (CURN), a proposed set of route segments in Maryland in which drones would ultimately share airspace with their […]
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