New Drone Testing Facility at UTSA
On the campus of UTSA, there’s a huge enclosure made of telephone poles and wire netting where researchers and drone fans can fly drones without worrying about FAA rules.
Measuring 150 feet long, 100 feet wide, and 60 feet tall, this space lets people operate UAVs outside in real-world conditions without needing a Part 107 license, according to Christopher Combs, Ph.D., the director of UTSA’s aerospace engineering program.
“The best analogy is a baseball batting cage,” said Combs, an associate professor of mechanical engineering.
Since the enclosure is not part of FAA-regulated airspace, it allows faculty who use drones for research but aren’t registered pilots to fly them. “We have researchers doing all kinds of stuff, anything where you really need a large space to fly a drone,” Combs added. “You can only do so much in a lab space.”
One example involves civil and environmental engineering researchers using drones and AI for intelligent construction management and surveying. “Imagine flying a drone over a bridge under construction and using AI to interpret the images,” Combs explained. He also uses the facility for his aerodynamics research. “I do fluid physics and fluid visualization. We needed a big enough space to measure airflow around drones in free flight,” he said.
Fans might find it fascinating how such facilities push the boundaries of research.
Built in June 2023 with $150,000 in university funds, the enclosure is one of the largest in the country funded by a university. Combs also heads UTSA’s Center for Advanced Measurements in Extreme Environments, a NASA-funded initiative to develop skilled researchers in various scientific fields.
Combs mentioned that building the enclosure is part of a bigger plan to train future aerospace professionals. “I came here to develop the aerospace engineering program, so that’s a big part of my work,” he shared.
Within just over a year since its construction, Combs and his team have been promoting the facility to both the university and the public. “We’re starting to get a lot of interest from inside the university and the external community as well,” he said.
With the new opportunities the enclosure provides, UTSA plans to expand its curriculum and include more non-faculty participation. “We’re looking at community outreach projects and getting students involved, whether they are in K-12 or college. We’re actively discussing how we can leverage our strong research areas,” Combs added.
