Celebrating the Rise of Unmanned and
Autonomous Systems
By Robin Toth , Washington State Department of Commerce
Washington State has been a global leader in the development of commercial and defense aircraft , space exploration and launch vehicles . So it ’ s not surprising that we are now becoming known for our expertise in the development of airborne unmanned and autonomous systems .
Investing in this new arena of aviation is critical to maintaining our leadership . The Unmanned Systems Industry Council ( USIC ) has been successful – in a relatively short timeframe – in educating and advocating for current and future investments . We have more than 170 agencies , organizations and companies participating in developing an ambitious platform that will support the growth of this sector .
Robin Toth robin . toth @ commerce . wa . gov
Washington State Department of Commerce https :// www . commerce . wa . gov
WA DEPT . OF COMMERCE
During the most recent state legislative session , an investment was made to provide support for a position at WSDOT Aviation that would be responsible to lead state coordination , and provide solutions for safe , reliable and sustainable transportation options for unpiloted aircraft systems within the state . This position would facilitate UAS training and continuing education , management of communication portals and assistance with registration and implementation of innovative drone technology . This is a critical step in supporting the industry and to advance the use of unmanned systems within the state .
While the focus of USIC is airborne systems , there are others in the state that are working on marine vessels , heavy duty trucks and automated tooling platforms .
48 NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS