Applications of UAS Technologies to Create Resilient Rural Communities

The NASA Convergent Aeronautics Solutions (CAS) project convened a team of researchers to investigate the needs of rural communities with an eye towards the application of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) technologies. The Connecting Rural Communities and Capabilities (3C) team gathered data on rural communities at both a macro and micro level. This data from multiple sources was then used to select two rural communities for site visits. Based on the information gathered during these visits combined with the national-level data, certain common themes emerged that were favorable for the application of UAS technologies. These included the general categories of “public good” and “agriculture” as two of the more common themes. From these themes, general UAS design requirements were postulated for the two types of needs identified. Future work was identified to enhance the applicability of UAS technologies to create resilient rural communities.