Saratov State University has launched a professional training course in engineering unmanned aircraft systems, including one or more unmanned aircraft with a maximum take-off weight up to 30 kg. It is implemented as part of a grant from the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the NPO Russian Student Detachments.
‘The issue of unmanned systems is discussed at the highest level today. These devices are the future. Therefore, a federal drone centre is to appear in our region. This is an important, relevant, and promising topic. SSU is interested in both developments and training on this topic. And we can do a lot. Today, taking our new course, each of you has the opportunity to work in a variety of areas. Surely, both programmers and engineers will use the acquired skills. After all, unmanned aircraft systems are used in agriculture, firefighting, aerial photography, cargo delivery, passenger transportation, and other spheres,’ said SSU Rector Aleksei Chumachenko, speaking to the students at the first lecture of the course.
The new course will be implemented by the Institute of Physics with the participation of the teaching staff of the Faculty of Geography, SSU. The classes started in October. In December, the students will take the qualification exam and get the certificates of advanced training.
At the first lectures, the students were already told about aerospace methods of Earth exploration and the history of the development of unmanned aerial vehicles, demonstrated the work of an optocopter and a quadrocopter. In the classroom, they will also learn about satellite positioning, learn mapping, the basics of circuit design, programming microcontrollers, how to analyse and the process data received from drones. The students will conduct pre-flight checks and test launches, including using a hybrid installation for VR-piloting unmanned aerial vehicles.
To add, it is planned to create a federal centre for unmanned systems in Saratov Region. It will include different jobs connected with drones – from research and development to testing of samples and their launch into mass production. Both enterprises of the military-to-production complex and civilian factories will be involved in the work. The specialists for the new centre will be trained by Saratov universities.
