The announcement this week that Rome in Central New York will be one of the sites for testing drones also has an impact on a local university. RIT is among the academic partners involved in research for this project. Agamemnon Crassidis is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at RIT.
He says some of the work RIT faculty and students will be working on has to do with imaging technology.
"Things like sensors, and how do we integrate these unmanned aircraft systems into the national airspace. So there's many research opportunities to use the test facility to bring the next technology to fruition. "
Crassidis believes that the use of civilian drones in the U.S. could provide a big boost for the state's economy, used in everything from forest fires to helping farmers manage their land, including doing things like check for bug infestations and monitor soil content.
