This spring, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) will launch a new UAS Certificate Program at UNLV Continuing Education. The 40-hour training course meets the requirements of AUVSI’s Trusted Operator Program (TOP) Levels 1 and 2.
During the course, a variety of topics will be addressed, including operation, policy, safety, and the different applications of this technology within the UAS industry.
UNLV says that those who complete the program will be eligible to become FAA-licensed commercial UAS pilots, ultimately putting them at the forefront of Nevada’s growing UAS industry. The first session is scheduled over two weekends, Feb. 22-24 and March 1-3.
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Education
Mid Michigan College to offer UAS classes for professionals and hobbyists
According to the Midland Daily News, Mid Michigan College will soon begin offering professional UAS users, as well as hobbyists, the opportunity to learn more about UAS and their impact on businesses.
Mid Michigan College has a Drone Training program, which is designed to address a number of areas, including teaching UAS-piloting skills, identifying potential uses and industry applications for the technology, and ultimately preparing students to pass the remote pilot knowledge test needed to obtain a Remote Pilot Certificate from the FAA to legally operate the systems under the FAA's small UAS Rule.
Mid Michigan College adjunct faculty member Robert Giuliani will teach the courses.
Fairfax County to host public information meetings on new Public Safety UAS program
Virginia’s Fairfax County has announced that it is developing a comprehensive Public Safety UAS program, which is designed to support a number of government mission types including, but not limited to, search and rescue operations, flooding assessments, and wildlife estimation.
Fairfax County is interested in getting feedback from its residents about the program, so during the month of January, it will host six public information meetings throughout Fairfax County.
During each meeting, there will be a static display of UAS, followed by a presentation that outlines the program.
Kansas State Polytechnic granted waiver to introduce BVLOS flights into curriculum
Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus has announced that its UAS flight and operations degree option is the first in the nation to introduce flying beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) into college curriculum.
The FAA has granted Kansas State Polytechnic a waiver that allows these operations to be conducted at the university.
“It is a significant opportunity for our students to learn how to fly UAS beyond their visual line of sight because they are preparing their skills and knowledge for the future of the industry,” says Kurt Carraway, UAS executive director of the Applied Aviation Research Center at Kansas State Polytechnic.
Cape partners with Consortiq to offer best-in-class UAS training and management consulting services to its customers
Cape, which builds software that unlocks the “true potential of drones,” has partnered with Consortiq to provide its customers access to best-in-class UAS training and management consulting services.
One of just three commercial companies certified to deliver training for AUVSI’s Top Operator Program (TOP), Consortiq was also awarded first place in the Training & Education Organization category during AUVSI’s inaugural Xcellence Awards earlier this year.
Tulsa students learn about UAS during 'Tulsa Research Kids' Drone Fly-In' event
On Friday, Nov. 2, more than 140 area students gathered at Tulsa Community College’s Riverside Community Campus and Aviation Center for the Tulsa Research Kids’ Drone Fly-In event.
During the event, which was the result of a partnership between Tulsa Community College, Flight Night and the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance, several businesses discussed UAS and the available careers within the industry to an audience made up of students ranging from kindergarten to 12th grade.
KPIT Technologies and Udacity partner to enhance engineering talent ecosystem for autonomous technology
KPIT Technologies has partnered with a Silicon Valley-based lifelong learning platform called Udacity to upskill and build the engineering talent ecosystem for autonomous technology, including self-driving cars and autonomous flight.
A global technology partner to OEMs and Tier 1s, KPIT helps these companies accelerate the implementation of next generation vehicle technologies, including autonomous driving.
Colorado Northwestern Community College launches new UAS program
Colorado Northwestern Community College (CNCC) is launching a new UAS program.
Scheduled to start on Oct. 15 at both the Craig and Rangely campuses, the first course, known as “AVT 160 – Introduction to Unmanned Aircraft Systems,” is described as a hybrid class taught in-person and online. According to CraigDailyPress.com, it is the first of three UAS courses the college plans to offer.
“This is a stepping stone for where we are going with the course,” says CNCC Aviation Technology Program Director David Boles.
Robots help improve social skills of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Yale study shows
The social skills of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) greatly improved after a month of working with robots, according to a study led by Yale researchers.
The robots, modeling eye contact and other social behaviors, guided the children through storytelling and interactive games designed to promote social skills such as emotional understanding, taking turns, and seeing things from others’ perspectives.
Children from 12 participating families participated in the study, which was led by Brian Scassellati, professor of computer science.
K-State Polytechnic launching graduate certificate in UAS information assurance
Come Fall 2018, Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus will launch a graduate certificate in unmanned aircraft systems information assurance.
The certificate will provide working professionals and graduate students “an educational foundation in an industry important to both military and civilian organizations,” according to K-State Polytechnic.
Enrolled students will learn important lessons regarding UAS, including how to protect UAS from cyberattacks, and understand “information assurance risk assessment principles” that apply to UAS operations on land, sea, air or satellite.
