GSU Drone Club could soon have its own hangar
Governors State University’s Drone Engineering Club is flying high as it works to secure the university its own official hangar to design and test drone aircrafts.
Computer Science Professor Aslam “Sam” Shahid said GSU and the Bult Field, a general aviation and corporate airport near Monee, are formalizing the agreement for the university to call one of the field’s hangars home.
Shahid said this move will not only solidify the GSU Drone Club as “the future of aviation” but will give the university an opportunity to play a role in becoming a hub for drone development in the state with a new Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program (UAS) through the School of Extended Learning, which would also utilize the hangar.
“Drone technology has a wide range of applications and is very diverse in law enforcement, public safety, military, business, healthcare, search and rescue, entertainment, space exploration, agriculture, supply chain and so much more,” he said. “This hangar gives us a chance to expand on the great work we’ve already been doing."
That work has seen students look at the latest drone technology for a wide range of applications to prepare individuals for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) drone licenses, flight training using state of the art drones, flight simulators and more. Additionally, students program drones of their own, designing them using various software, hardware and a 3D Printer.
According to Prof. Shahid, the partnership with Bult Field will expose GSU students to a wide range of opportunities, including developing delivery drones, which could allow GSU to partner with companies like Amazon, Walmart, and Kroger, all of which are now using the technology to deliver products. Though drone delivery hasn’t expanded to Illinois yet, Shahid said it’s coming.
“When drone delivery is rolled out in Illinois, we’ll have the upper hand with the Bult Field hangar and that could mean more partnerships and other great things for GSU,” he said, noting the program would greatly benefit students in internships, employment, and research opportunities in addition to bringing in research grants for GSU. “By having an UAS program, this is going to bring GSU onto the national landscape and give us the upper hand in drone development in our region.”
To join the GSU Drone Engineering Club, contact Prof. Shahid at ashahid@govst.edu or 773-307-4508.