AeroVironment Loans Quantix to University Research Center

Stephanie Robinson, ULM’s UAS Research Center Manager with Quantix

The University of Louisiana Monroe‘s Unmanned Aircraft Systems program has a new weapon in its education arsenal. It’s called the Quantix. And as Tammi Arender reports, this is a big benefit not only to students but farmers as well.One of the newest education tools in ULM’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Research Center’s toolbox is this drone.

AeroVironment’s Quantix is on loan to the university for a year.

“This is a hybrid a tail sitter. It takes off and lands vertically. When it does take off it climbs to about 100 feet and flips over and becomes a fixed-wing,” said Paul Karlowitz, Director of Operations of the Precision AG and UAS Research Center.

Paul Karlowitz is the director of operations of the Precision Ag and UAS Research Center at ULM. He says this drone is different from any other because of its speed and ability to collect data.

“Flies about 40 miles an hour and can map 400 acres in about 45 minutes,” said Karlowitz.

Stephanie Robinson, the Research center’s manager says this is a game-changer for farmers.

“They can get the idea quicker of what’s going on in their field to fix it quicker rather than using a Phantom 4 or any other drone that may take longer to process,” said Stephanie Robinson, ULM’s UAS Research Center Manager.

Robinson says not only is this the easiest to operate and fastest flying fixed-wing but the analysis of the data collected is processed quickly as well.

“Our data with this. We can put it at 12 o’clock and we can be done by 2:00 o’clock,” said Robinson.

For students of ULM’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems program, having access to this type of drone technology could benefit them when they start looking for a job.

“So if they go look for a job and that job looks at their experience or their logbook and sees they fly this. We’ve never heard of this before and the student shows them what it is and what it does then they have an advantage as far as somebody who does not fly this drone at all,” said Robinson.

Source: KNOE News