On Thursday, July 20, ConVal’s Region 14 Technology Center held a drone demonstration day. Under ideal weather conditions, the program was conducted by Danny Canary of Skydio, an American manufacturer of drones headquartered in San Mateo, California.
Canary opened the three-hour event with an explanation of the various capacities of three models: the Skydio 2+, the Skydio Enterprise, and the Skydio X2 autonomous drone. Each drone possesses varying flying characteristics and degrees of AI-powered tools that allow drone operators to create 3D models, conduct remote inspections of facilities, guide search and rescue operations in rugged terrain, or complete damage assessments, for example, after weather events like hurricanes or the recent destructive rainfall events in western New Hampshire.
Canary showcased especially the autonomous obstacle avoidance capacity of the drones which allows the Skydio to guide itself around obstructions in its flight path. Attendees, who included students in the ConVal Summer Learning Program and interested members of the general public, were encouraged to take the controller and try flying the drone themselves.
ConVal School Board Chair Dick Dunning, who attended the event, noted: “The drone presentation today, by the CTE, offered ConVal students a chance to see multiple possibilities, for future career options, through participation in upcoming drone programs.”
