REU Site: Applied Computing Research in Unmanned Aerial Systems

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This award provides funding for a three-year Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, a Hispanic Serving Institution on the Texas Gulf Coast and a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved site for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), to offer a ten-week summer research experience in UAS technology to ten students per year. Students are selected through a nationwide recruitment process that encourages participation of underrepresented groups. This unique undergraduate research experience opens the door for researchers to a wide range of applications, as well as new areas in UAS technology that address problems of regional and national significance, such as coastal management, coastal ecology, precision agriculture, and security of UAS technology. The REU Site organizes activities such as mentoring of participants by a team of experienced faculty, skill-building seminars and workshops, research presentations, graduate school preparation, and other professional development activities. The objective of the program is to provide participants unique research experiences in a stimulating environment that involves developing secure, autonomous UAS technology. Activities include research in applied computing for UAS-based applications as well as a series of skill-building training sessions designed to enhance group cohesiveness and to hone their technical writing, communication, and research skills. Primary research activities occur in the areas of autonomous UAS, security of UAS, and applications of UAS in a variety of domains. The participants will write and submit research papers on their work in local, regional, and national symposiums. Through the REU Site participants will be able to explore opportunities of UAS technology in commercial, civilian, and governmental applications, to develop confidence and passion for research, to motivate seeking advanced degrees, and to inspire life-long learning in computing.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.