CAS Inquire lecture series continues Oct. 8 with Detweiler and drones

Photo Credit: CAS Inquire Detweiler
Wed, 09/18/2019 - 17:51

Carrick Detweiler will give the talk “Shaping the Future Rise of Drones” on Oct. 8. at 5:30 p.m. in the City Union Auditorium.  The talk is free and open to the public.

The lecture continues the theme, “The Rise of the Machines,” for the college’s new CAS Inquire program, which is built around a college-wide series of lectures that give students, staff, and faculty a focal point for conversations.

Detweiler is a Susan J. Rosowski Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering who co-directs the Nebraska Intelligent MoBile Unmanned Systems (NIMBUS) Lab.

“Beyond being simple toys, drones are increasingly used for everything from surveying crops for stressed plants to inspecting roofs for hail damage,” Detweiler said.

“We are developing the next generation of drones that are collecting water samples, digging holes in the ground to install sensors, and starting fires from the air to support prescribed fires. By leveraging advances in everything from the electro-mechanical design to novel software that can automatically detect faults to reduce risk and increase safety, we can shape the ‘rise of the machines’ to benefit society.”

The series includes five lectures in five disciplines, followed by a panel discussion with all the speakers in March. Guy Reynolds, English and women's and gender studies, opened the series on Sept. 10 with his talk about British novels.

CAS Inquire students take specialized courses, help with facilitating the program, and enjoy additional benefits. They can apply, or be nominated by faculty, for the program on the web page.