Outreach

Together with committed partners from the National Center for Autonomous Technologies at Northland Community and Technical College, CASERM has developed a vibrant program that trains the next generation of pilots of unmanned aircraft systems for the minerals industry. In mineral exploration, unmanned aircraft systems are used for land surveying, hyperspectral remote sensing, and airborne geophysical data collection. Unmanned aircraft systems are also increasingly used in the monitoring of pit walls and underground workings. To meet the critical workforce needs of the minerals industry, this program provides advanced research and technology skills to community college students, with an emphasis on students from traditionally underrepresented groups as well as veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces. The training program is partially support by the Skills Training in Advanced Research & Technology (START) opportunity of the National Science Foundation.