Academic Partnerships in Swarm, BVLOS, and Autonomous Ag Operations.
We are exploring research collaborations with universities and labs advancing multi‑UAS swarm operations, BVLOS command and control, and fully autonomous agricultural missions. Our goal: translate research into safe, certifiable, NDAA‑compliant systems deployed in the Midwest at commercial scale.Current Focus Areas
Swarm Operations
Distributed tasking, collision avoidance, mesh comms, and cooperative mission planning for multi‑UAS spray teams.
- Formation flight & task allocation
- Resilient V2V/V2G links (MAVLink / DDS / ROS 2)
- Safety cases for multiple concurrent UA under Part 137
Target: 3–5 UA/mission
TRL 4→7
BVLOS Control Systems
Command, control, and DAA enablers for routine BVLOS in rural ag corridors, aligned with emerging Part 108 frameworks.
- Ground & onboard DAA fusion (radar/vision/ADS‑B)
- Health/Integrity monitoring & link fail‑safe
- ConOps + waiver/Type Cert data packages
ConOps: IL/IN
NDAA Sensors
Fully Autonomous Ag Operations
End‑to‑end autonomy from mission planning to precise spray application with verifiable coverage and traceability.
- Terrain‑aware path planning & variable‑rate control
- Digital field boundaries & geofencing
- Post‑mission compliance logs & audit trail
40 L class
ISO/ASTM data logs
Partnership Models
Co‑Development
Joint engineering with shared roadmaps to integrate lab tech into our NDAA‑compliant platforms (PX4/ArduPilot).
- Shared repos & CI/CD on target hardware
- Stage‑gated field trials with safety review
- Path to commercial deployment
Student Capstones & Co‑ops
Real‑world problems, faculty mentorship, and paid placements on flight test campaigns and autonomy toolchains.
- Mechatronics, controls, perception, comms
- Hybrid/remote options; summer field ops
- Potential for offers and joint patents
Facilities & Data Access
Use of our heavy‑lift ag platforms, telemetry, and anonymized mission datasets to accelerate applied research.
- 40 L UAVs, RTK GNSS, spray subsystems
- SIM: Gazebo, PX4/ArduPilot SITL
- APIs: MAVLink, ROS 2/DDS
What We Offer & What We Seek
We Offer
- Flight platforms and operators (Part 137) in IN/IL
- NDAA‑compliant reference stack & sensor kits
- Field time, consumables, and data engineering
We Seek
- Novel algorithms with a path to certification
- Quantitative validation and open benchmarks
- Faculty champions & motivated student teams
Target Universities
We are prioritizing partners in the Midwest, including programs in Indiana and Illinois, while remaining open to national collaborations.
Purdue (AAE/ABE/CS), UIUC (AE/CS/PRI), Others by proposal
IP & Publication
- Background IP retained; project IP negotiable
- Right to publish with reasonable review period
- Open‑core SDK options for safety‑critical modules
How to Propose a Collaboration
Send a short, 2–3 page concept including the following checklist. We respond within two weeks.
| Section | What to include |
|---|---|
| Objective | Problem statement, expected impact on safety/commercial readiness |
| Technical Approach | Methods, datasets/simulators, target hardware |
| Validation | Metrics, test matrix, safety gates, documentation plan |
| Timeline & Budget | Phases, resources, student roles |
| Outcomes | Deliverables, publications, IP expectations |
FAQ
- Do projects have to be NDAA‑only?
- We prioritize NDAA‑compliant components for rapid U.S. deployment. Non‑NDAA may be used in early stage lab prototyping if a migration path is defined.
- Can we access flight data for publications?
- Yes, subject to anonymization and safety review. We support dataset releases where feasible.
- Where do field tests occur?
- Designated ag fields in Indiana and Illinois under our Part 137 operations with licensed PICs.