Research Experience for Undergraduates in UAV Technologies

Cal Poly Pomona Foundation, Inc., Pomona CA

Investigators

Abstract

This Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site program at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (CPP), offers state-of-the-art, multi-disciplinary research experiences in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) technologies, engineering, and computer science to diverse and talented cohorts of undergraduates, particularly women and Hispanic students, from 2 and 4 year institutions with limited or no research opportunities. UAV's have the potential of replacing manned aircraft for dull, dirty, and dangerous missions. In addition, UAV's are less expensive than manned aircraft and pose no risk to human operators. Military applications include intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), battlefield damage assessment, and force protection. Civilian applications include remote sensing, scientific research, search and rescue missions, border patrol, surveillance of disaster-affected areas, aerial photography, aerial mapping for geotechnical survey, vegetation growth analysis, crop dusting, and precision agriculture. The UAV industry is the fastest growing sector of the aerospace industry. However, there is a lack of professionals entering the workforce for UAV related jobs. This REU program is designed to increase students' interest in UAV technologies by means of first-hand experience on UAV research with direct mentorship by faculty advisors from various departments within the CPP Colleges of Engineering and Science. This REU Site offers undergraduates, in collaboration with CPP faculty and graduate students, opportunities to conduct research during a 10-week summer program, on state-of-the-art technologies and advanced research projects in UAV flight dynamic and control, computer vision, artificial intelligence, embedded systems, and robotics. In addition to their research, students will participate in weekly research seminars, research meetings, and professional development seminars. The seminars will include topics such as literature review, writing a scientific paper, improving written and oral communication skills, technical presentations, graduate education, career paths, resume building, and ethics in science and engineering. The 10-week program will also include outreach activity. The students will give presentations on UAV technologies, engineering, and computer science to K-12 students at local schools. This will enhance students' communication skills, allow them to see the broader implications of their research, and see how they can positively impact society through research. The discoveries made during these collaborations will be communicated to the broader scientific community via publications and presentations. This site is supported by the Department of Defense in partnership with the NSF REU program.