The Center for Learning and Technology acquired a second drone this past semester, largely for the purposes of taking aerial shots of the campus. The new drone is a DJI S1000 drone, also called an Octocopter. It flies for about 15 minutes on each full battery charge and has been used recently to take aerial shots of campus and the Bell Athletic Center for marketing purposes.
The recently purchased larger drone takes two individuals to pilot, with one leading the drone and another directing the camera mounted on the unit. The first drone CLT purchased, a DJI Phantom, only requires one pilot.
Due to the developing use of drones, the Federal Aviation Administration is still working on regulating the use of drones. CLT only flies the drones on clear days when there are few people on campus to ensure the comfort of students, faculty and staff.
“I think there are a lot of educational uses for [drones] with studying landscapes and environments,” said Taylor Stakes, video and web multimedia content developer. “We are strict on when and how we use them, but we would work with professors to find out what they will need them for.”
The Center for Learning and Technology offers professors the opportunity to utilize the drones if they have professional need for them, and in order to access this, interested professors can contact CLT and discuss the possibility of using the drones.
