is installing a $750,000 simulation laboratory for unmanned aerial systems as part of its larger development efforts downtown.
The community college says its $5 million center downtown devoted to testing and evaluation of unmanned aerial systems will now include a laboratory with five simulator units for students, using Synthetic Aperture Radar, or SAR.
The simulator is produced by Israeli company Simlat Ltd., said Deb Norris, vice president of workforce development for Sinclair.
“This kind of technology doesn’t exist nationally,” Norris said, adding it comes through a trade program the school has sought to capture more business interest from Israel
Simlat is one of the first Israeli companies the college has worked with.
The technology will allow for live virtual and constructive simulations for unmanned systems. The center will be tied into the Ohio Fiber Optic Internet system, which will allow data to be fed to other state assets, such as the National Center for Medical Readiness at Calamityville, Wright State University’s Fairborn facility where drones are being flown.
“It’s a part of what we’re trying to build here that gives us a national appeal, not only to students but to businesses,” Norris said. “We want tech like this to be something that is unique that brings companies here.”
The school plans to cut the ribbon next month on the National UAS Training and Certification Center, a refit of Building 13 into a 28,000-square-foot facility for the school’s unmanned aerial systems and aviation programs. It’s part of a larger $32 million rehabilitation of Sinclair’s campus in coming years.
The school will construct a 3,200-square-foot flying pavilion onto Building 13, with 40-feet-high ceilings where students will be able to test fly unmanned aircraft outside of weather concerns and in compliance with the tight regulations placed on unmanned aircraft by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Sinclair is the second-largest college or university in the region with 20,900 students as of last fall, according to the 2014 DBJ Book of Lists.
The emerging drone industry is expected to create 100,000 jobs as it grows into an $82 billion industry by 2025. The Dayton region has been seeking to capture some of that investment. Drones are currently regulated tightly but the technology to support their development has continued to flourish.
Illustration: A rendering of Sinclair’s new UAS facility