Drones can play an important role in a number of areas, including making the U.S. safe, improving crop yield and safeguarding the environment.
January 5, 2016 – With the creation of the Unmanned Aerial Systems Research Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory makes available tools and capabilities with applications in environment, energy, infrastructure, security and humanitarian efforts. For example, the ability to fly over land that is not easily accessible allows the center to carry out detailed critical structure, agricultural and environmental inspections, said Rick Lusk, director of UASRC and leader of ORNL’s Data System Sciences and Engineering Group. Unmanned aerial systems can provide virtually unlimited amounts of information about airborne contaminants, bridges, dams, transmission lines, cell towers, pipelines and can help first responders determine needs during a natural or man-made disaster. Tactical surveillance is another key application for unmanned aerial systems and the center, which will allow industry and government agencies to tap into a wealth of resources.