sUAS Manufacturer Parrot and Embry-Riddle Launch Academic Partnership

Parrot, a leading manufacturer of small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS), and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Worldwide Campus have announced a new academic partnership that will promote curriculum development and the dissemination of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) research and real-world applications.

Parrot and Embry-Riddle will contribute resources to support advanced UAV research, platform development, education and recruitment, helping Embry-Riddle Worldwide students and faculty stay at the forefront of the sUAS industry’s rapidly evolving technology curve. The partnership also enhances career prospects for Embry-Riddle UAS students as they leave the classroom.

“Working with an innovative consumer sUAS manufacturer such as Parrot will enable Embry-Riddle Worldwide to provide our students with unparalleled access to the latest generation of technology, processes and tools. In turn, our students will build and refine the knowledge, skills and abilities essential to ensuring safe, effective and responsible operation in our nation’s shared airspace system,” said Brent Terwilliger ('00, DB; '05, WW), program chair of the Master of Unmanned Systems degree, UAS discipline chair and full-time assistant professor of aeronautics at Embry-Riddle.

Embry-Riddle will support Parrot by providing access to its facilities, professional development programs and research opportunities. The university will also offer educational opportunities for eligible Parrot employees, including for-credit degree programs and non-credit courses.

“Increased commercial demand for data from autonomous vehicles requires that we train a new generation of experts to collect this information safely and accurately with a wide range of platforms and sensors. We also need to teach best practices on how to efficiently manage the processing, storage and analysis of this data over time,” said John Cherbini, director of Enterprise Business Development for Parrot. “Embry-Riddle Worldwide’s global presence and expertise in aeronautical education was a clear fit for the portfolio of Parrot hardware and software solutions. We are excited by the opportunity to help raise the next generation of commercial sUAS pilots.”