Maverick Autonomous Vehicle Research Center
The University of Texas at Arlington has expanded its research and innovation capabilities with the completion of a state-of-the-art outdoor netted drone facility. The Maverick Autonomous Vehicle Research Center, also known as the MAVRC, is located at the UT Arlington Research Institute (UTARI) in Fort Worth. This dedicated netted environment enables safe and FAA-compliant outdoor testing of advanced autonomous air vehicles.
Unmanned Vehicle Research
The Maverick Autonomous Vehicle Research Center supports a wide range of research activities focused on advancing unmanned aerial systems:
- Security and Surveillance: The facility enables the development and testing of drones for security applications, such as perimeter surveillance, crowd monitoring and, threat detection.
- Counter UAS: The center allows researchers to safely test and validate systems designed to detect, track, and, counter drones for security and defense of sensitive areas.
- Agricultural Research: Drones can be tested for precision agriculture applications, such as crop monitoring, pest detection and, soil analysis, to improve farming efficiency and sustainability.
- Environmental Monitoring and Data Collection: Researchers can deploy drones to monitor environmental conditions, collect data on air quality, and study wildlife habitats without disturbing the ecosystem.
- Urban Planning and Infrastructure Inspection: The facility can support research on using drones for urban planning, including traffic monitoring, infrastructure inspection, and maintenance of public utilities.
Facility Use Cases
- Autonomous Drone Testing and Development: The facility can be used to test and develop new autonomous drone technologies, including navigation algorithms, obstacle avoidance systems, and payload delivery mechanisms.
- Disaster Response Training: The facility can simulate disaster scenarios where drones are used for search and rescue operations, damage assessment, and delivery of emergency supplies.
- Educational Programs and Workshops: The facility can host educational programs, workshops, and training sessions for students, researchers, and industry professionals to learn about the latest advancements in drone technology and autonomous systems.
Facility Details
- Dimensions of 120’x150’x40’
- 26 Vicon motion capture cameras to localize vehicles, objects for control and validation of algorithms
- Lighting for nighttime use
- Wireless internet coverage
- 720-sqft control/observation center
- Support and training available from UTARI researchers and staff
Steering Committee
- Dr. Eileen Clements, Interim Executive Director and Research Director
- Dr. Nick Gans, Head of UTARI’s Automation and Intelligent Systems Division and Associate Professor, Computer Science and Engineering
- Dr. Yan Wan, Distinguished University Professor, Electrical Engineering
- Dr. Kamesh Subbarao, Professor and Director of the Aerospace Systems Laboratory (ASL), Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
- Dr. Gautam Das, Associate Dean for Research and Professor, Computer Science and Engineering
- Cody Lundberg, Research Engineer II