Eyes in the sky The Ohio UAS Center helps lead the nation in the next generation of aviation innovation. BY ALICIA ADAMS
A
t the beginning of the 20th century, two brothers from Ohio launched a revolution in air technology at Huffman Prairie, a cow pasture located just outside of Dayton. On that grassy field, Orville and Wilbur Wright researched and developed reliable, controllable aviation — and with it, the ability to connect people and businesses across the globe. Ohio has led the nation in airspace innovation ever since. In Springfield, about 30 miles east of Huffman Prairie, sits the Ohio Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Center, where the state manages and helps develop the next generation of air technology: drones, and the communications and systems that control them. The Ohio Department of Transportation uses drones from the UAS Center to help with a variety of projects. In 2021, the center’s drone flight team logged over 2,200 flights for ODOT, including
Electric cooperatives have been using drones for several years as a way to make up-close inspections of co-op infrastructure such as this substation in Delaware County.
30
OHIO COOPERATIVE LIVING • JUNE 2022
bridge inspections, construction assessments, facility inspections, mapping, and traffic and roadway monitoring. Why does ODOT use drones? “It’s ultimately about safety, both for drivers on the roads and for people who are working on them,” says Luke Stedke, managing director of communications and policy at DriveOhio, a state organization that serves as a single point of contact for all of Ohio’s smart mobility initatives. “Drones can be used in situations that are potentially dangerous to our crews, such as bridge inspections on busy highways.” Adaptable, efficient, economical, and capable in a variety of tasks, the center’s drones have also conducted roller coaster inspections for the Department of Agriculture, assisted the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency with debris obstructions and spills,
