The University of Alabama in Huntsville today unveiled new
drone-like technology designed to enhance campus safety that someday may
be available to help protect K-12 school systems.
At a news conference today, the school showed off a variety of
unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that will provide an “eye in the sky”
for campus police, according to Gary Maddux, who is leading the research
as director of the Systems Management and Production Center (SMAP).
Maddux said the shooting at a Connecticut elementary school in
December pushed the languishing research into overdrive. Six months
later, Maddux said the University of Alabama police department is
scheduled to visit UAH next week to get a first-hand view of the UAV
technology.
“We just want to be able to make a difference and we want to make
a difference quickly and come up with something to help law
enforcement,” Maddux said. “That’s what it’s all about – improving
response times so maybe we could mitigate the next tragedy that could
occur.”