REU Site: Unmanned Aerial Systems with Real-World Applications in Oklahoma

无人机系统(UAS)正在成为一个快速发展的领域，在工业、军事、气象、商业和娱乐用途等方面有着广泛的应用，仅举几例。具有在集群和不利环境中导航的能力的先进无人机对未来几代人至关重要，预计将对美国经济产生关键影响。这个REU网站旨在通过一系列专注于UAS设计和应用的基础研究课题来促进对UAS的了解。此外，该网站旨在培养新一代研究人员和工程师，他们将成为这一快速增长领域的领导者。为了实现这一目标，REU网站向学生参与者提供指导和培训，使他们能够在积极、有吸引力和具有挑战性的学习环境中发展成为成功的工程师和研究人员所需的技术和软技能。为了鼓励充满创新想法的劳动力队伍，他们将招收不同的学生群体，并共同努力从STEM代表性不足的群体中招收学生。REU网站将为每年10名不同的学生提供为期10周的暑期研究体验，为期3年，并开展一系列研究活动。学生们将积极参与具有实际应用的研究，重点是导航和控制传感器以准确评估车辆位置，使用无人机通过寻找气体泄漏和检测颗粒物来应对气候变化，为无人机开发基于新材料的可展开结构，测试无人机电池在恶劣条件下的性能，以及开发计算工具以确定最脆弱的故障点。这个NSF REU网站的主要目标是：(1)促进无人机技术的知识，这可能会对无人机在各种应用中的进一步发展产生影响，包括在恶劣和恶劣的环境中；(2)帮助学生扩展他们关于无人机技术的知识，并发展研究技能和策略，以帮助他们在工程领域取得成功；以及(3)在STEM教育中招收和指导未被充分代表的群体和第一代大学生，以增加他们在大学和学术界的归属感和认同感。俄克拉荷马大学的航空航天和机械工程学院处于一个非常有利的位置来主办这个REU网站。这个REU场地将利用现有独特的自然开放实验室，包括附近的凯斯勒大气和生态野外测试站、Choctaw Nation无人机系统集成飞行员计划(UASIPP)测试场和全尺寸甲烷探测测试环路站。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) are becoming a fast-growing field with a wide range of applications in industry, military, meteorology, business, and recreational use, to name just a few. Advanced UAS with the capacity to navigate in clustered and adverse environments are essential for future generations and are expected to have a critical impact in the U.S. economy. This REU Site aims to advance knowledge of UAS through a series of fundamental research topics that focus on design and application of UAS. Furthermore, this Site aims to develop a new generation of researchers and engineers who will become leaders in this rapidly growing field. To achieve this goal the REU site provides mentoring and training to student participants in a positive, engaging, and challenging learning environment where they will be able to develop the technical and soft skills needed to become successful engineers and researchers. To encourage a workforce filled with new and innovative ideas, they will recruit a diverse group of students and place a concerted effort on recruiting students from underrepresented groups in STEM. The REU site will provide a 10-week summer research experience for a diverse group of ten students each year, over a 3-year period, with a series of research activities. Students will actively participate in research with real world applications that focus on sensors for navigation and controls to accurately assess vehicle position, employ UAS to fight climate change by gas leak hunting and detection of particulate matter, developing deployable structures based on novel materials for UAS, testing drone battery performance in harsh conditions, and developing computational tools to identify the most vulnerable failure spots. The primary goals of this NSF REU Site are: (1) To advance knowledge of drone technology that could have an impact for further development of UAS for various applications including in harsh and adverse environments; (2) To help students expand their knowledge on drone technology and develop research skills and strategies to aid their success in an engineering field; and (3) To recruit and mentor students from underrepresented groups and first-generation college students in STEM education to increase their sense of belonging and identity in the greater university and academic community. The school of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Oklahoma is in an excellent position to host this REU Site. This REU site will take advantage of unique existing natural open labs including the nearby Kessler Atmospheric and Ecological Field-Testing Station, the Choctaw Nation Unmanned Aircraft System Integration Pilot Program (UASIPP) test site, and the Full-size Test Loop Station for methane detection.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.