Drone Tetra Conference at USF Sarasota-Manatee Campus Features Young Students, Faculty and Industry Experts

Experts in drone technology took turns delivering informative presentations at the daylong Drone TETRA Conference at the University of South Florida’s Sarasota-Manatee campus on Friday.

While several of the presenters, including USF faculty and industry experts, gave intriguing lectures, the spotlight clearly belonged to a dozen students from Palm View Elementary School in Manatee County, who took turns relating their experiences as part of “WOZ ED,” a national program inspired by Apple Computer co-founder Steve Wozniak.

Neirda Thompson-Pemberton, executive director of FUNducation, Inc. – a Bradenton non-profit that designs programs to engage children in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics – facilitated the discussion, asking the students to describe a recent assignment that imagined how drone technology could solve certain societal problems. 

The students focused on human trafficking and took turns at the microphone explaining to the more than 120 audience members how drones could help locate missing human-trafficking victims. The students said that GPS trackers could be attached to devices that people commonly wear — watches, bracelets or shoes — and that aerial drones could be deployed to follow the devices’ GPS signals. 

When Thompson-Pemberton asked where drones would be stationed, a half-dozen hands shot up and a 10-year-old girl confidently explained that fast-food restaurants are everywhere and could serve as drone bases, so that if a drone flew beyond its range or lost power another could be activated.

“Sometimes we as parents and teachers place limitations on what we think kids can learn,” Brandon Turk, director of transformational technology at WOZ ED, said. “It’s amazing how quickly kids can learn and grow and solve problems when they are given the freedom to think on their own. The potential is there. We just have to unleash it.”

The event also featured two competitions, including an opportunity for attendees to solve a societal problem of their own, as well as a competition for middle school and high school students to assemble drones to prepare them for flight.

Karen Holbrook, PhD, regional chancellor of the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus, was impressed by the presentations.

“I am so proud of our community and the way these innovative programs are preparing our students for college and careers in high-tech fields,” she said. “These great programs get kids embedded in the use of technology so that they are not fearful. Hearing these students today was just fabulous. They have bright futures and we’re just delighted this conference is being held here.”

Ehsan Sheybani, PhD, USF Sarasota-Manatee associate professor of information systems and decision sciences, and Giti Javidi, PhD, USF Sarasota-Manatee associate professor of information technology and cybersecurity, organized the conference, which explored a multitude of topics, from air-traffic management to the use of military drones and the role of drones in disease control.

“This conference brought together leaders in drone technology, education, training, research and application to give the audience a comprehensive overview of the past, present and future of this fast-emerging field,” Sheybani said.

“Given the ever-increasing role of drones in agriculture, utility inspection, public safety, national defense and security, surveying, mapping, cinema, photography and other industry sectors, this meeting provided insight into the science, technology and engineering behind drones, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Internet of Things (IOT), and other emerging technologies,” he said. “The conference was a huge success thanks to the super-active members of the staff, faculty, and administrators at the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus.”