CCCC receives drone donation

Cloud County Community College’s Renewable Energy Department has received a donation of two drones from the North Central Regional Planning Commission. The Skydio X10 drones will be used in Cloud’s Drone Technology program.

“This is a significant donation and upgrade for our drone fleet,” said Monte Poersch, Renewable Energy Department Chair. “These drones give us cutting edge technology to be used for infrastructure inspections, public safety and emergency management.”

NCRPC was awarded a FY 2022 US Department of Transportation SMART Grant for a project called “Smart Counties in Kansas.” The project aimed to leverage innovative aviation technology to prototype the use of drone technology for transportation asset monitoring in concert with a GIS-based platform that integrates local infrastructure assets.

The goal of this project was to provide innovative data monitoring of asset conditions and inform technical solutions for rural infrastructure management. NCRPC launched the SMART Project at the request of local governments to advanced information-gathering technologies – such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), UAS drones, and remote sensing tools – and to demonstrate their practical application in managing and inspecting road and bridge networks. Bridges were selected as the primary demonstration focus, although the project acknowledged a broader range of potential uses. A secondary purpose of the project was to enhance workforce development for UAS in rural areas. 

"The NCRPC was pleased to partner with higher education in our region to elevate the learning opportunities for students in this important and growing field," said Deb Ohlde, NCRPC Executive Director.

The Skydio drones are equipped with advanced AI-driven autonomy and include high-resolution visible-light and thermal cameras. They are designed to meet the needs of public safety, defense, energy, and construction.

“The hardware capability of these drones, combined with the sensors and software using photogrammetry, thermal imaging, and 3D scanning capabilities, create unparalleled training opportunities to develop the future workforce,” Poersch said.

CUTLINE: The North Central Regional Planning Commission recently donated two drones to the Cloud County Community College Renewable Energy Department. Pictured with the drones is, left to right: Deb Ohlde, NCRPC Executive Director, CCCC students Asher Zimmer and Brodie Schroeder, and Monte Poersch, CCCC Renewable Energy Department Chair.