TECHNOLOGY

New Drone Programs Boost Next Generation Job Potential by: Katie McCurdy, Executive Director, Community Engagement, Gulf Coast State College

The Unmanned Vehicle Systems (UVS) have been in use for decades, and the technology is growing exponentially by the military, the private sector and civilians. Commonly referred to as drones, they are not only limited to aerial vehicles, they can crawl across the ground, float across and under the water’s surface, and have the ability to be controlled either remotely or autonomously.

The UVS industry is rapidly expanding in the United States and is having a positive impact in multiple segments of the economy. Gulf Coast State College (GCSC) has an established UVS program at two of its campuses to meet the demanding needs. The number of applications for drone use continues to increase as technology continues to advance and new uses are discovered. Bay County was devastated in 2018 by Category 5 Hurricane Michael, and drones played a vital role in search and rescue as well as recovery efforts. A vast number of industries continue to reap the benefits of unmanned vehicles, and some current applications include military, firefighting, aerial photography, advertising, real-estate, search and rescue, storm research and construction. The Gulf Coast region was impacted greatly by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill which led to Triumph Gulf Coast being established to oversee the funds allotted for use in eight counties for economic damages. Those counties include Bay, Escambia, Franklin, Gulf, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton and Wakulla. GCSC is making significant investments in their UVS program with the aid of being awarded over seven million dollars from two Triumph grants having been received. These investments are expanding their offerings, and creating tailored training programs to prepare our workforce for quality careers in unmanned systems. Gulf Coast State College received grants for an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Pilot Bootcamp and Technology Center for Emergency Response and Communications. “The training and capabilities provided by UVS program, Pilot Bootcamp, and the Technology Center for Emergency Response, are unique for our region and allows students and first responders the capability of using cutting edge technology both within industry and government agencies applications,” stated Jose Lopez-Banquero, assistant professor at Gulf Coast State College and the Unmanned Vehicle Systems Operation program manager.

The Unmanned Aerial System Pilot Bootcamp is a condensed program to assist individuals in securing up to eight industry certifications and 15 college credits if both phases of the program are completed. The program was designed to assist exiting military and/or their spouses in acquiring the skills necessary for medium to high risk operations. Phase 1 consists of five weeks of online and faceto-face training where students learn UAS safety and visual line of sight operations of aircrafts under 20 pounds. Phase 2 consists of 11 weeks of training in advanced operations, and beyond visual line of sight, using aircrafts between 20-1320 pounds. Students learn Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) approved flight and systems training, as well as ground school and simulation. Students will have the ability to earn up to four certifications during each phase of the program. The UAS Pilot Bootcamp provides a unique opportunity for students to gain knowledge and earn qualifications necessary to assist them with future careers.

The GCSC Unmanned Vehicle Systems Associates of Science (UVS A.S.) program not only trains in the operation of unmanned systems, but provides students with coursework in introduction to electronics, programming logic, robotics and applications, and geographic information systems, as well as fundamentals of remote sensing. The UAS Pilot Bootcamp will blend with the UVS A.S. by incorporating curriculum components necessary for students to obtain a degree. “Students in the program will perform hands-on training exercises to simulate real-world scenarios, and they will be guided to earn various industry certifications that fit their educational goals,” stated Jose Lopez-Banquero. The degree program provides students with the necessary training to work with local companies like Skyborne Technology.

The mission of the Technology Center for Emergency Response and Communications is to fill the technological gap in disproportionately affected counties before, during, and after a natural or man-made disaster. The program is designed to encourage the effective use of unmanned systems for emergency responders and emergency management agencies by deploying, promoting, training, documenting, analyzing, and generating actionable intelligence to support emergency management agencies. Agencies will be provided resources and training to utilize unmanned vehicles and advanced communications for search and rescue as well as disaster response. The program will provide individuals the ability to earn multiple certifications demonstrating their proficiencies in their fields, such as UVS operations and FLIR thermography. Based on agency needs, selected students will take part in the UAS Pilot Bootcamp to gain necessary skills and certifications. The program will provide three off-road mobile command centers. Satellite, microwave, and dispatch communications, as well as video transmission, will be available in all mobile units. Also, they will contain geographic information systems and remote sensing processing stations. One mobile unit will contain additional workspaces for incident commanders. The technology center will have cutting edge technology equipment, such as autonomous underwater vehicles for underwater mapping, side scan sonar for underwater search and recovery, remotely operated vehicles for underwater inspections, pipe inspection robots for the search of casualties in collapsed buildings or structures, long endurance aerial vehicles, thermal aerial systems for search and rescue, and radar systems for drone detection. This will allow for vital and essential information to be distributed in a timely manner for decision makers. Resources from the technology center will be available for use by the eight affected counties, as well as the students in the GCSC Unmanned Vehicle Systems Associate of Science Program.

From these programs, a key opportunity for new economic development success in Bay County is emerging. Through the UVS programs at GCSC, companies are starting to recognize the talent the programs are producing. This is spurring the desire for companies to collaborate with the College within the UVS realm. “In anticipation of the significant development and transformational impact occurring in the areas of remotely operated and autonomous vehicle operations we stand ready to provide support and training to meet the needs of our workforce,” stated Dr. John Holdnak, President of Gulf Coast State College. Combine this with the planned expansion of unmanned systems at Tyndall Air Force Base through the new MQ-9 Reaper mission, and the unmanned underwater research occurring at the Naval Support Activity Center- Panama City, and the community becomes a prime location area for UVS manufacturing companies and research and development entities.

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