Unmanned Aerial Systems drones

License to skill: System engineering team takes drone training to new heights

Nathan Kahl — Mon, 12 May 2025 18:20:40 +0000

License to skill: System engineering team takes drone training to new heights Nathan Kahl Mon, 05/12/2025 - 14:20

In This Story

Lance Sherry

Rajesh Ganesan

A ��ɫ��Ƶ team of Systems and Industrial Engineering (SIE) students developed a training system to assist people working toward their drone pilot license.

As part of the project, the team developed a business plan that won Best Paper in the Systems Design Track at the Annual Andrew P. Sage Memorial Capstone Design Competition and Best Paper and Best Presentation in the Modeling and Simulation Track at the GEN Donald R. Keith Memorial Capstone Conference at West Point.

The system incorporates a drone pilot simulator, Zephyr Sim, that was developed separately by George Mason alumni Kyle Bishop, Alex Estep, and Stewart VanBuren, who graduated from the Computer Game Design Program in the College of Visual and Performing Arts and worked at Virginia Serious Game Institute.

All pilots using drones for commercial purposes are obliged to hold a license known as the Part 107 Drone Pilot license. The license, issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), covers all the aeronautic knowledge and the rules-of-the-road for safely flying drones. These rules include establishing where is it legal to fly, how high is too high, how to account for weather, and when and how to notify the authorities about the flight.

Drone flying. Photo credit Public Domain Archive

“To obtain a Part 107 license, all one has to do is pass a multiple-choice exam with about 70 questions,” said SIE student Hannah Nguyen. “Can you imagine getting an automobile driver’s license without the behind-the-wheel driving test? With the Part 107, just pass the knowledge exam and you are good-to-go.”

The team conducted several stakeholder interviews to inform their project, which proved very useful. “After only a few interviews it became clear that enterprises that routinely use drones for data gathering, and image collection were experiencing excess costs due improper handling of the drones by the pilots,” said team member Corbin Phillips.

Team leader Emaan Abbasi added, “We designed a drone pilot training system that integrates drone flying on the simulator in the with the aeronautic knowledge material. For example, in the section on weather, the student practices flying the drone in different wind conditions or with different levels of fog.”

The end product has 17 modules with concepts-maps, video lectures, flash cards, and practice quizzes. Each module has one or more hands-on simulator flying activities. “The training system was thoroughly tested by five students,” said team member Andrew Kuo. “We learned a lot and made several adjustments. In the end, the training to proficiency is reliably faster than the industry best practices.”

“The most enjoyable part of the capstone course was seeing all our hard work come together,” said team member Shakira Mangrio. “The system engineering approach really helped us manage all of the moving parts throughout the year, it was really rewarding to see the final result and present it. And winning awards was icing on the cake.”

Rajesh Ganesan, chair of the systems engineering undergraduate committee, congratulated the team and confirmed that the class SYST 464 Commercial Drone Pilot Training was approved and will be added to the fall 2025 University Catalog. This course will also be part of the aviation flight training and management minor.

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George Mason Police help emergency efforts and assess storm damage from Hurricane Helene

lclarkg — Thu, 03 Oct 2024 15:17:31 +0000

George Mason Police help emergency efforts and assess storm damage from Hurricane Helene lclarkg Thu, 10/03/2024 - 11:17

��ɫ��Ƶ Police’s Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) teams supported the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) deployment to Appalachian Power in Ivanhoe, Virginia, over the weekend. The primary mission at Ivanhoe—between Carroll and Wythe counties—was to inspect two dams, built in 1912 and 1913, as well as the power distribution lines affiliated with them.

Record precipitation and the effects of Hurricane Helene caused the second highest water level and flow on the New River since 1940, exceeding the design basis for the dams. The power lines are difficult to access from the ground, but the Mason Police drones flew above and across mountains, following the power lines so that engineers could watch the livestream and assess possible damage.

The drone deployment by Mason Police helped Appalachian Power ensure the integrity of the facilities more safely and efficiently.

“This storm has impacted all Virginians, and ��ɫ��Ƶ is always ready and willing to lend a helping hand,” said Michael Lighthiser, the deputy chief who oversees Mason Police’s Special Operations, Research and Training Unit. “We have some very special capabilities, and we are proud to be able to help our fellow Virginians to safely get back on their feet in the aftermath of such a devastating storm. It’s the right thing to do.”

George Mason Police Corporal Blaine Ries (left) delivered a Starlink satellite internet system to the Asheville Police Department to help restore communications to their headquarters after the devastation of Hurricane Helene. Photo provided

After returning from the drone mission, Mason Police answered another call for assistance from the path of Hurricane Helene. With all communications service lost in Asheville, North Carolina, after devastating and deadly flooding, the Asheville Police Department requested a Starlink system to restore cell and internet service at their headquarters. The Mason Police have Starlink systems available, which provide high-speed satellite internet access.

Mason Police Corporal Blaine Ries hurried into his Starlink-equipped drone truck and headed to Asheville. To get there, he needed to drive through Tennessee and approach from the south in order to avoid the worst of the devastating storm damage. Arriving shortly after midnight on Tuesday, Oct. 1, he quickly set up the Starlink, giving the Asheville police the communication access needed to coordinate their rescue and emergency management activities.

George Mason Police’s drone teams have been an important resource for other jurisdictions, providing aerial support and training to other agencies. In late July, at the request of the Virginia Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security, Mason Police taught a weeklong drone class to more than 20 police and fire department agencies in southwest Virginia to help them start the process of launching drone teams.

“I am very proud that the 12 members of our UAS team are always ready and willing to deploy, at a moment’s notice, anytime their unique capabilities are needed to enhance the public safety of our community and beyond,” said Carl Rowan, George Mason chief of police.

Mason Police includes more than 135 full and part-time personnel including more than 50 sworn police officers who provide services to the Fairfax, Mason Square, and SciTech campuses. The department maintains a close working relationship with the Virginia State Police and the police departments of the City of Fairfax, Arlington, Fairfax County, and Prince William County.

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Drone masterclass helps students explore real-world problems for first responders

sholla4 — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 18:29:01 +0000

Drone masterclass helps students explore real-world problems for first responders sholla4 Mon, 12/04/2023 - 13:29

“Imagine a time when hearing the buzz of a drone is not a sound of fear, or annoyance, but instead a sound of hope,” said Dallia Laban, an electrical engineering major at ��ɫ��Ƶ.

Dallia Laban opens her group's presentation. Photo by Evan Cantwell/��ɫ��Ƶ

Laban provided the opening to her team’s proposed drone innovation: a CPR drone they’ve named Skylife Support. This drone, they explained, could be deployed by first responders to reach patients and provide emergency CPR while an ambulance is enroute. After their four-minute presentation, a panel of judges asked them about growth projections and certification requirements. The audience applauded, the team returned to their seats, and the next team began their presentation on a drone system that could filter air to combat post-wildfire pollution.

Christopher Vo calls this a “Shark-Tank style pitch competition,” which closes out his Unmanned Aerial Systems Prototyping course. The Fall 2023 course marks the third successful semester of the course’s programming.

Vo is a two-time Mason alum, receiving both his MS in Computer Science ’07 and PhD in Computer Science ’14. After graduating with his PhD, Vo co-founded Sentian Robotics and served as its chief scientist until earlier this year. Sentian Robotics develops novel drone technology, such as the Hive—a drone fleet aircraft carrier.

In addition to being an accomplished robotics scientist, Vo also has a passion for teaching. “I’ve always wanted to bring drones and other new technologies out of the labs and into the real world,” he said. This course allows him to get back into the classroom and bring his knowledge as a start-up owner and robotics professional to a new cohort of students each semester. This kind of partnership is a hallmark of Mason’s entrepreneurial approach, which earned it the top ranking among public universities for research performance in entrepreneurship.

The masterclass, hosted by the Mason Innovation Exchange (MIX), is an eight-week program that meets every Thursday evening throughout October and November. Out of 300 applicants, only 30 students are selected to participate. They represent a wide range of degree programs and education levels, from first-semester freshmen in the Global Affairs Program to graduating PhDs in mechanical engineering. While the course is noncredit, students earn a microcredential upon completion.

Of course, the appeal of a course like this is in the drones. Building a drone and learning to pilot the drones is what inspires most students to apply. But Vo emphasizes that drone construction and piloting is only a small part of the overall course.

“The program is more about how you can use this technology in the real world, so the course is built around our students developing a solution to a real-world problem in first response and law enforcement using drone technology and pitching that solution to stakeholders.”

Students are put into teams based on their degree programs—Vo ensures an equal distribution of engineers and humanities students, as well as diversity of degree level amongst each team. While learning the technology and building a drone, teams must decide on a problem to tackle, theorize a solution, develop a prototype, and pitch their idea to stakeholders.

While learning the nuances of drone building and piloting, students heard from Steve Burmeister of Mason’s Forensic Science Program on emergency preparedness, and Kerin Hilker-Balkissoon, the director of educational and career pathways in the College of Science, on microcredentialing.

A student shows his group's miniature prototype during their presentation. Photo by Evan Cantwell/��ɫ��Ƶ.

Before the pitch competition, students learn the foundations of pitching from Lisa Shapiro, assistant director of entrepreneurship programs in the Office of Research, Innovation, and Economic Impact; Fred Briggs, founder and CEO of Applied Impact Robotics; and Gisele Stolz, senior director of entrepreneurship programs and business incubators in the Office of Entrepreneurship and Economic Development.

The top two groups in the pitch competition receive a monetary prize to be split among team members; the third prize goes to the “People’s Choice.” Students are not allowed to vote for their own design.

This year’s judges include Jordan Higgins, adjunct faculty in Mason’s School of Art and lead human-centered engineer at MITRE; Mike Koontz, MS Computer Engineering ’08 and director of mission technologies at Raytheon; and Kuzeyhan Ozdemir, a seasoned start-up mentor and one of the MIX’s in-house mentors.

Because the course incorporates elements of programming, engineering, creative problem-solving, and entrepreneurship, diversity of thought and skill on each team is critical to teams’ success.

“It’s a unique opportunity for our students to work with truly interdisciplinary teams. They don’t often get the chance to cross-pollinate in standard coursework,” Vo explained. “This course really emphasizes the importance and value of collaboration, cooperation, and learning from other disciplines.”

As of now, the projects end with the conclusion of the course. But Vo hopes to see teams carry on after the course to fully develop their solutions into marketable products.

“We can solve wicked problems through interdisciplinary innovation,” he said. “And that’s what I’m hoping our students take away from this course.”

Learn more about The MIX

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Mason Police provide aerial security support to Marine Corps Marathon

ckearney — Wed, 02 Nov 2022 18:04:13 +0000

Mason Police provide aerial security support to Marine Corps Marathon ckearney Wed, 11/02/2022 - 14:04

Members of one of five ��ɫ��Ƶ Police’s Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Teams assigned to Sunday’s Marine Corps Marathon stand as rooftop sentinels, watching the sun rise before launching multiple drones into the airspace above Arlington County to provide aerial security overwatch of the prestigious race, which is the fifth largest marathon in the United States. This was the first year that drones replaced expensive-to-operate helicopters to provide eyes in the sky. It was also the first time that the FAA had enough confidence in a law enforcement drone team to authorize flights in what is some of the world’s most restricted airspace. The drones provided real-time video feeds to the unified command center in a manner that is a game changer for decision makers in a massive security operation involving hundreds of law enforcement officers. The Mason Police continue to be trailblazers in the use of this amazing technology.

Photo by ��ɫ��Ƶ Police UAS Unit

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Mason drones help Coast Guard’s effort to free ship stuck in the Chesapeake Bay

ckearney — Thu, 14 Apr 2022 13:22:22 +0000

Mason drones help Coast Guard’s effort to free ship stuck in the Chesapeake Bay ckearney Thu, 04/14/2022 - 09:22

The ��ɫ��Ƶ Police Department is lending its aerial assets to efforts to free the large container ship stuck in the Chesapeake Bay. Photo by Mason Police UAS unit

The ��ɫ��Ƶ Police Department is lending its aerial assets to efforts to free the large container ship stuck in the Chesapeake Bay after running aground more than a month ago.

The Ever Forward is a Taiwanese-flagged ship that has been stuck near Annapolis, Maryland, since missing a turn in the shipping channel and running aground on March 13.

At nearly 1,100 feet long and 158 feet wide, the Ever Forward is the largest boat ever stuck in the Chesapeake Bay, one of the biggest boating hubs in the country

Mason officers responded to a U.S. Coast Guard request to provide their Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) drones in support of the operation. Mason UAS crews are operating from an 87-foot Coast Guard cutter after being picked up at Maryland’s Sandy Point State Park and transported 1.9 miles from shore to the cutter via small boat.

The UAS Unit comprises personnel from Mason personnel and the City of Fairfax Fire Department, with additional assistance from the Manassas Park Police and the Fauquier County Sheriff’s Department to help carry out the challenging week-long flight mission. Mason’s UAS operations began on Saturday, April 9, and are expected to continue through Saturday, April 16.

“Having seen the capabilities of the drones and the high quality of the video, [the U.S. Coast Guard] thinks that it is the best technology they have ever had at their disposal for incident command,” said Mason Police Chief Carl Rowan Jr.

The unit is providing real-time video feeds to the USCG Joint Operations Command, which oversees the operations.

“This is an international commerce problem,” said Michael Lighthiser, deputy chief who oversees Mason Police's Special Operations, Research and Training Unit. “We’re helping to facilitate what has to be done. We don’t have the ability to move containers, but we can make sure that those who do, can do so safely.”

Local, state and federal officials worry about the potential ramifications should the ship not be successfully freed.

“It’s a huge ecosystem and who knows what’s happened to that boat underneath,” Lighthiser said. The goal is to minimize negative economic and environmental outcomes.

After dredging efforts and two failed attempts to pull the ship out of the mud, state and local officials opted to lighten the ship’s load. Salvage crews using crane barges are removing hundreds of cargo containers from the Ever Forward. The Coast Guard says now the goal is to unload 550 containers—about 7.5 tons—off before trying again to pull the ship out of the mud.

But offloading in open waters can be extremely risky.

That’s where the UAS systems come in handy, allowing Coast Guard officials to see exactly what is on the ship and what it will require to get to it. The drones are also playing a key role in the enforcement of a 500-foot safety zone around the ship.

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