0968950 Brigham Young University; Tim McLain 0968991 University of Colorado at Boulder; Brian Argrow
The Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (CUAS) will investigate and develop new algorithms, architectures, and operational procedures for unmanned aircraft systems. Brigham Young University (BYU) and the University of Colorado at Boulder (UCB) are collaborating to establish the proposed center, with BYU as the lead institution.
Since the development of UAS is critical to national security CUAS aims to be the focal point for storing and disseminating information about UAS of all sizes, from micro to large. The proposed Center has identified some of the challenges to overcome in order to establish UAS dominance in the US. The research led by the Center will lead to new concepts, technologies, insights, and tools for UAS. BYU and UCB plan to use the NSF planning grant fund to hold a meeting with prospective industrial partners to establish the proposed Center?s organizational framework, and to establish research projects of greatest relevance.
The broader impacts of the Center include curriculum design, community outreach and training the next generation of UAS researchers. BYU and UCB will work with industry and government sponsors to provide opportunities to students to work on high-impact, cutting-edge research. The Center also plans to attract women and under-represented minority groups as students in the Center.
The primary objective of this National Science Foundation (NSF) Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC) planning grant was to plan and hold a planning meeting for the Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS). This meeting was held June 23-24, 2011 at the Snowbird Resort near Salt Lake City. The meeting hosted many of the top organizations in the UAS industry. Brigham Young University and the University of Colorado are the two institutions currently partnering in this effort. The following companies and organizations were represented at the meeting: AAI-Textron, Aerovironment, AFMC Ogden Air Logistics Center, AFRL Air Vehicles Directorate, AFRL Munitions Directorate, AFRL Sensors Directorate, Boeing Phantom Works, Cloud Cap Technology, DOE Idaho National Laboratory, ImSAR, Insitu, L-3 Communications, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company, MLB Company, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, Procerus Technologies, Army Research Lab, and the US Army UAS Project Office. The primary outcome of the meeting was a list of industry-vetted project descriptions for future work in the center. These project descriptions were part of a proposal for establishing C-UAS as an NSF I/UCRC that was submitted to NSF in September 2011. We are awaiting notification on the outcome of the proposal review process. Twelve companies provided letters of commitment indicating they would join C-UAS if it is established by the NSF.
