Arkansas Drone Summit Returns in Fayetteville and Little Rock

Photo courtesy of College of Engineering

A drone is seen during a training class at the University of Arkansas. The third annual Arkansas Drone/Unmanned Aircraft Systems Summit is March 12.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The third annual Arkansas Drone/Unmanned Aircraft Systems Summit will take place Tuesday, March 12, with events in Fayetteville and Little Rock. Registration is still open.

Drone experts will cover topics such as Federal Aviation Administration compliance, homeland security regulations, how drones can aid in research and the role of drones in emergency response.

The summit will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 12, with sessions divided between the Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences in Fayetteville and at the Walton Executive Education Center in Downtown Little Rock. Sessions in Fayetteville will be simulcast live to the location in Little Rock, and Little Rock sessions will be simulcast to the Fayetteville site.

Unmanned aircraft systems, or drones, were originally used in military applications, but have now become useful tools in commercial operations, research, recreational, agricultural and law enforcement applications. Richard Ham, assistant director of the Master of Science in Operations Management and Engineering Management programs, facilitates the University of Arkansas' unmanned aircraft systems efforts.

"There are not many events in the nation where you can find cutting-edge information presented by recognized experts in academe, agriculture, law enforcement, aviation and industry,” Ham said. “As the state's land-grant university, we are chartered to serve the citizens of Arkansas and improve their lives, and this summit is a way to do that by distilling the information we teach on campus in our foundations and remote sensing courses, and in new courses emerging around the state."

Some planned sessions during the summit include:

• Machine learning and artificial intelligence in unmanned aircraft systems collection
• Comparison of thermal plant presentations between night and daytime collection
• Navigation with GPS and machine learning models
• Unmanned aircraft systems use in earthquake and crisis management assessment
• Open question session on the future, vision and new developments

There will also be a drone demonstration at Agri Park in Fayetteville the day after the summit, from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 13. Attendees in Little Rock will have a chance to meet with vendors at the Walton Executive Center during the same timeframe.

There is no cost to attend, but registration is required at operations-management.uark.edu/uas. Space is limited.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among fewer than 2.7 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.