Canadas Academic Research and Development in Unmanned Aerial Systems 2020 Survey

2023-07-12

Hugh H.-T. Liu

Bottom Line Up Front

I rate this 1.

Summary

Introduction

The unmanned Aerial System sector is currently military and security. The bulk of predicted growth will come from civilian and commercial applications.

I’d bet that commercial will dwarf both military and civilian within a decade. Lets see what this report thinks.

Scope and Method of Survey

Covers academic centers, intentionally ignores (but acknowledges) industry.

Research Capacity by Unmanned Aerial System

Standard aeronautical and engineering disciplines:

aerodynamics
guidance, navigation, and control
aircraft design and manufacturing
propulsion
structures and materials

Roughly all research is in “guidance, navigation, and control”.

They break things down by application, pretty even spread for everything except “Public Safety” and “Military”, only one lab in all of Canada works on military applications of unmanned aerial systems.

Academia’s relationship with the military is so bizarre

Almost all research is happening in Ontario. Author mentions they’re both in Ontario and did not speak French which could explain why Quebec is missing.

It then lists all the big labs, expands their cute acronyms, and gives a quick summary of their work.

The report ends without giving any real future directions, what I’d expected going in.