On December 8, 2015 Carleton University’s first workshop on Uninhabited Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) brought faculty and experts in the field together to discuss specific goals and begin planning for several UAV initiatives and upcoming funding proposals in the coming months.
The day was comprised of a technical workshop with presentations on a range of topics followed by a brainstorming session to examine future directions for UAV research and training.
Supported by the Faculty of Engineering and Design, along with the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, the largely internal event was coordinated by Carleton Aerospace Director, Jeremy Laliberté.
According to Laliberté, the purpose of the workshop was “to give our researchers and students their first chance to share their experiences with uninhabited aerial vehicle systems and to discuss how we can take this critical mass of capabilities and establish new, integrated research and training activities,” says Laliberté.
The event hosted speakers from Carleton, University of Ottawa, Algonquin College, and Clarkson University (upstate New York) among others. “It was fantastic to have engineers, scientists, ethicists, and law experts all in one room sharing their experiences with this exciting technology,” notes Laliberté. “It was also a chance to discuss important issues such as health and safety, how Transport Canada regulatory changes may impact our work and the responsible use of UAVs and the data they collect.”
Attendees are already planning next steps in the form of an open partnership workshop in 2016, which will include industry and government in discussion of near-term projects and long-term programs. With UAV research and training taking place across disciplines at Carleton, their relevance on campus, to industry, and for society at large appears to be growing steadily.
