Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), commonly referred to as drones, provide a significant opportunity for many areas of research at North Dakota State University. Opportunities exist for technology-based research in such areas as airframe design, flight controls, propulsion systems, power management, and sensor payloads, to name a few.  Other types of research are focused on the countless numbers of applications for the technology.  These include agriculture production, transportation infrastructure monitoring, public utility inspections, land surveying, construction, plant and wildlife surveys along with many others. 

To enable these opportunities while adhering to regulations, NDSU has established a policy and a set of procedures to be followed for use of unmanned aircraft for research, education, or other purposes on university property.