Canadian drone operators are on the way due to $1.65M grant
The University of Toronto has received a $1.65 million grant to train 150 grad students as Canadian drone operators
U of T News is reporting:
“The word ‘drone’ often conjures up invasive images of military aircraft, but if Professor Hugh Liu of the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies has his way, that perception is about to change.
Liu has just received $1.65 million from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to train 150 new experts in the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for a variety of useful purposes, from agriculture to environmental monitoring.
Ed Holder, Canada’s Minister of State for Science and Technology, shared the news May 20 at UTIAS. Liu’s project is one of 17 from across Canada to receive a total of $28 million through NSERC’s Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) program this year.
“This grant will allow us to work closely with industry partners to explore new applications in this emerging market,” said Liu. “It will give our students the opportunity to get practical experience and to prepare themselves to be the leaders in the field.””
These Canadian drone operators will be assist in sparking the new drone economy in Canada. Expect to see many other countries launching similar programs over the next several years.
