July 26, 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 25, 2024

University, state of Alaska to host 2nd annual International Drone Conference

Global Autonomous Systems Conference to feature industry experts, university researchers in discussions around AI, autonomous vehicle applications

ANCHORAGE 鈥 Alaska鈥檚 pivotal role in drone and autonomous systems research will be highlighted at the upcoming (GASC) scheduled for Aug. 13-15 at the Dena鈥檌na Center in Anchorage. The conference is hosted by the University of Alaska and the state of Alaska and will feature three days of engaging discussions on the latest advancements and future trends in autonomous systems and artificial intelligence, both locally and globally.

GASC is sponsored by the at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (绿奴天花板F) Geophysical Institute (GI). AC绿奴天花板SI is one of the nation鈥檚 top drone research programs.

鈥淎C绿奴天花板SI鈥檚 research and development in unmanned aircraft technology continues to break new ground,鈥 绿奴天花板 President Pat Pitney said. 鈥淎laska is at the crossroads for global commerce, transportation and logistics, making this the perfect location for the meaningful dialogue that will occur at this conference. On behalf of the university, I鈥檓 pleased to welcome all of the speakers and attendees to this event.鈥

Attendees can expect insightful presentations from leading international experts, dynamic discussions among industry and policy leaders and numerous networking opportunities with innovators in the field of autonomous systems. 

The conference comes as AC绿奴天花板SI recently completed a first-of-its-kind drone test flight in Cook Inlet, surveying an offshore gas platform owned by Furie Inc. The 15-mile flight from Furie鈥檚 Nikiski processing facility to the offshore platform was monitored by Raytheon Technologies. The drone was refueled and given a payload to return to Nikiski as a test of future material delivery applications. The test flight was the result of three years of work by AC绿奴天花板SI, Furie and HEX Cook Inlet LLC in partnership with Raytheon.

More than 100 industry leaders and experts in the expanding field of air, land and sea autonomous systems are slated to attend, including:

  • Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy
  • Alaska Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom
  • Cathy Cahill, Director of AC绿奴天花板SI
  • Katie Thomson, Deputy Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
  • John Younkin, Director of Emerging Technologies at Raytheon
  • Colonel Timothy 鈥淪teiner鈥 Meerstein, Commander, Pacific Air Forces Regional Support Center
  • Troy Lofven, Cybersecurity Advisor for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security鈥檚 Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
  • John Illson, Senior Director of Safety & Regulatory Operations for Merlin Labs
  • Steven A. Bert, Senior Economist at North Carolina State University鈥檚 Institute for Transportation Research and Education
  • Lance R. Brady, National Uncrewed Systems Office chief for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
  • Paige Brochu, Director of the University of Vermont鈥檚 Spatial Analysis Lab

鈥淟ast year鈥檚 inaugural conference was an overwhelming success, and we expect this year鈥檚 conference to be another powerful event in the dynamic field of autonomous systems,鈥 Bob McCoy, director of the University of Alaska Fairbanks鈥 Geophysical Institute said. 鈥淲e thank 绿奴天花板 President Pat Pitney and Gov. Mike Dunleavy for again sponsoring this conference. They and those at AC绿奴天花板SI know there鈥檚 no better place for autonomous systems research, demonstrations and information exchanging than here in Alaska."

For more details or to register for the conference, visit .

The University of Alaska is a land-, sea- and space-grant system of higher education established in 1917. The 绿奴天花板 System's three universities (绿奴天花板A, 绿奴天花板F, and 绿奴天花板S) are separately accredited institutions with campuses and extended learning centers across the state of Alaska. The University of Alaska is overseen by the Board of Regents, an 11-member volunteer board established through the Alaska Constitution, and responsible for University of Alaska policy and management through the university president.

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