North Carolina Universities Get $2M to Study Drones, Electric Air Taxis

NCDOT on Monday formed the University Transportation Center of Excellence for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)—a coalition of three universities that will spend the next two years researching how next-generation aircraft, including UAS such as drones and vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) models, could solve the industries’ biggest challenges.

NCDOT has embraced UAS technology, such as delivery drones, as one of eight lead participants in the FAA’s BEYOND program: a four-year initiative designed to help the FAA gather data that will inform operational rules for UAS, launched in 2020.

Earlier this year, for example, North Carolina first responders, volunteers, and local operators deployed drones to assist with recovery efforts in the wake of hurricanes Helene and Milton.

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (N.C. A&T State) will take the lead on the University Transportation Center of Excellence, developing a simulation platform that allows electric VTOL aircraft to better coordinate with ground transportation systems.

When they begin transporting paying customers as soon as next year, electric VTOL air taxis such as Archer Aviation’s Midnight will introduce the FAA’s first new class of aircraft since helicopters in the 1940s. To get North Carolinians on board with the technology, N.C. A&T State researchers will develop a public engagement strategy and gauge its potential impact on the aviation job market.

North Carolina State University (N.C. State) will further research the economic and job creation opportunities for AAM aircraft, focusing on ways the new designs could improve emergency response times in rural areas and how to integrate them with ground mobility systems.

“[AAM] has transformative potential in North Carolina and beyond, and our research team is well positioned to contribute in the areas of surface and air mobility integration, rural emergency response, operational safety and reliability, and the potential economic, infrastructure, and workforce benefits and impacts of this technology,” said Daniel Findley, lead researcher at N.C. State’s Institute for Transportation Research and Education.

Elizabeth City State University will also research the emergency response use case, creating training programs for future UAS first responders and guiding policymakers to regulate those operations safely.

Across all three schools, the initiative will offer education and training for the next generation of pilots in order to build up the state’s workforce.

“This center represents an extraordinary opportunity to revolutionize transportation in our state,” said Nick Short, interim director of aviation for NCDOT. “By investing in this research, we're not only shaping the future of air mobility but also preparing North Carolina's workforce to lead in this exciting and rapidly evolving field. I am especially thrilled to see N.C. A&T State take the lead on this project. Their expertise and leadership will be instrumental in advancing this initiative.”

In Texas, meanwhile, the FAA earlier this year lifted certain restrictions on delivery drones. In March, the regulator’s remote identification rule for drones took effect, improving the safety of drone operations. And in September, the Federal Communications Commission approved a dedicated radio frequency spectrum that only drones can use, designed to prevent malicious actors from jamming them or disrupting their flight path.

NCDOT is acting early to ensure that the state is one of the first benefactors of these expanded privileges, which lay the foundation for larger—and, potentially, profitable—UAS services.

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