The University of Texas at Arlington is building a $2.3 million state-of-the-art drone facility in Fort Worth.
The outdoor netted drone facility, called the Maverick Autonomous Vehicle Research Center (MAVRC), will be located at the UT Arlington Research Institute (UTARI) and is expected to be completed in January 2025.
The structure will be equipped with lighting, cameras, and sensors, and a control and educational building will be next door. It will serve as a research opportunity for local experts in the field, students, and faculty. The netted structure allows people to test the drones’ capabilities in all weather conditions, which is necessary for Federal Aviation Administration compliance.
“Unmanned vehicles have phenomenal capabilities, but we must also consider how these ‘robots in the air’ talk to each other to avoid collisions and perform collaborative tasks,” said UT Arlington professor Yan Wan, who spearheaded the MAVRC project. “The new facility at UTARI will allow myself, other researchers, and UTA students, plus local companies and stakeholders, to safely test and experiment with unmanned vehicles as our society speeds up its use of these technical marvels.”
“This outdoor test facility for air and ground autonomous vehicles is crucial for advancing and preparing the next generation of unmanned systems,” said Hongtei Eric Tseng, a member of the National Academy of Engineering who works for the university’s Recruiting Innovative Scholars for Excellence initiative. “I’m excited to have another UTA facility where we can work with students, faculty, and industry to develop cutting-edge technologies and applications. It will enhance our ability to innovate and lead cross-institutional research.”
The new addition comes as North Texas has become one of America’s drone capitals. Walmart recently shut down its drone delivery services in three states to focus on servicing Dallas, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Early this year, Walmart announced plans to expand its drone delivery service to include 75% of households in Dallas-Fort Worth. In late June, some Fort Worth residents began receiving their Walmart purchases by drone.
Groceries, food, and medicine can be ordered from Walmart, with some drone deliveries clocking in at approximately 15 minutes.