Unmanned flight drones could soon be coming to Syracuse as a part of a plan to integrate the drones into commercial airspace.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), more commonly known as drones, have been seen as a controversial new technology for their lack of regulation and transparency in military use, but researchers believe the remote-controlled planes could have many commercial functions.

Farmers have suggested using remote-controlled planes to manage crops. FedEx Corp., UPS Inc. and other delivery companies have shown interest in using drones to send packages, and journalists have discussed covering stories with drones by flying them in public airspace.

On Feb. 14, the Federal Aviation Administration announced its plan to select six sites across the country to host a research program focused on introducing flight drones to commercial airspace. Syracuse might become one of these sites through the work of the Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research (NUAIR) Alliance.

The CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity, a company based in Syracuse, and the Massachusetts company MassDevelopment lead the NUAIR Alliance.Officials believe Syracuse is a prime location for a testing site for commercial flight drones because of the city’s diverse climate, said Robert Knauff, NUAIR Alliance’s chief operating officer.

“Most of these aircrafts are very sensitive to adverse weather,” Knauff said. “But the reality is, to safely integrate them into the national airspace, it’s important they can adjust to all climates. We can bring the ice, the snow and the rain to test these UAVs.”

The research site is expected to test for collision avoidance, and introduce these unmanned flight drones into open and commercial airspace. Tests would look for issues dealing with unpredictable situations and control systems involving the UAVs.

“A computer will always outfly any human being on the planet,” said Dick Gifford, Oneida County aviation commissioner. “But at this stage, they don’t have the experience or the judgment a human pilot would have. The first thing that comes to mind is how a UAV operator would avoid a collision with man-made and naturally occurring obstacles in an open airspace.”

NUAIR Alliance officials predict UAV testing could bring 23,000 related jobs and attract billions in investment for the state, according to a Feb. 21 NUAIR Alliance news release.

Multiple universities in the area, such as the Rochester Institute of Technology, Cornell University and Syracuse University, have devoted research to the new devices, said Agamemnon Crassidis, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at RIT and the lead academic on NUAIR Alliance’s proposal.

Syracuse is no stranger to flight drones, as it is the headquarters of the 174th Fighter Wing of the New York Air National Guard, which holds and operates several MQ-9 Reaper drones. Knauff, who is in charge of the NUAIR Alliance and a former commander of the 174th Fighter Wing, said he believes the area is technologically equipped to handle these tests.

The FAA is set to select the six sites by the end of 2013, according to the NUAIR Alliance release.

Knauff said the technological base in Syracuse provides a great advantage for testing in the city. Companies such as Saab Sensis and the Syracuse Research Corporation are already working on UAV testing and trying to integrate drones into commercial airspace.

Said Knauff: “Testing these things require a fair amount of software and technology, both of which we’ve got square in Syracuse.”

Published on February 26, 2013 at 11:47 pm

Contact Alfred: alng@syr.edu

@alfredwkng