The 8th Annual Unmanned Systems Academic Summit at Sinclair College

Unmanned systems are powerful innovations that are changing the future of local and global industries. These high-tech, intelligent machines are capable of completing complex tasks without the need for human operation. From high-stake military missions to faster delivery times, unmanned systems such as drones are paving the way for technological development, creating jobs and strengthening economies on a local and global scale. 

Dayton’s Sinclair College held its 8th annual Unmanned Systems Academic Summit to discuss the future of unmanned systems. Dr. Andrew Shepherd, Executive Director and Chief Scientist for Unmanned Aerial Systems, described the event by saying, “The 8th annual Unmanned Systems Academic Summit included invited experts providing engaging presentations related to their work in unmanned systems research and development, education and training, commercialization, and technology transfer. The 2022 proceedings occurred online, with registered attendees gaining access to the live event with opportunities to ask questions of the speakers following each presentation. Additionally, the event was recorded to provide the conference proceedings to both those that attended the live session and to anyone that registered following the Summit.”

Sinclair’s Trailblazing History with Unmanned Systems

Sinclair College has hosted the Unmanned Systems Academic Summit since 2015 and in doing so has connected students and community members to industry leaders, innovators and educators in the field. Dr. Shepherd says Sinclair began organizing the first summit after they had “recognized the need to provide a means for academia, industry, and government stakeholders to convene, share ideas, and network with the goal of advancing the development and transmission of knowledge related to unmanned systems.”

With growing success and continuing advancements in the field, it’s anticipated that the Unmanned Systems Academic Summit will continue annually at Sinclair. Attendance this year reached an all-time high, with Dr. Shepherd saying, “Participation in this year’s Summit broke all records with 10,335 registrations provided to hundreds of colleges and universities, as well as industry and government stakeholders from around the world. This level of participation was enabled through several notable sponsorships from agEagle, Elistair, and Montgomery County, Ohio, as well as grant funds from the National Science Foundation and open registrations.”

Montgomery County’s Influence on The Unmanned Systems Industry 

Montgomery County, Ohio has long been an area of influence in the unmanned systems industry. “Montgomery County is the natural location to host the Unmanned Systems Academic Summit, both due to the long history of innovation and the many current examples of collaboration across academia, industry, and government advancing the state of the unmanned systems ecosystem.” said Dr. Shepherd when asked about the advantages of hosting the summit in Montgomery County. He also discussed the innovative and positive spirit exemplified by the founder of Sinclair College, David Sinclair, and his ethos of “Find the need and endeavor to meet it,” which is still core to all that the college does. 

Dr. Shepherd and Sinclair College look forward to community attendance at future summits, as well as suggestions for topics and speakers. To learn more about the annual Unmanned Systems Academic Summit, or to submit ideas for future presentations, visit their website at: https://uas.sinclair.edu.