The SMART (Strengehtening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation) Eastern Shore Drone Medical Delivery project, funded by U.S. Department of Transportation grant, aims to use drones to deliver hypertension medication to rural areas like Smith Island, MD, where access is limited to boats. This initiative seeks to improve healthcare access and outcomes by providing faster, more reliable delivery of essential medical supplies to isolated communities.
At UROC, our work spans a diverse range of projects that push the boundaries of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) technology. From integrating drones into the national airspace to advancing technological innovations, we are committed to exploring solutions that have a real-world impact.
Our projects encompass a variety of initiatives, including cutting-edge internal research, educational collaborations, and strategic partnerships with public and private organizations. Whether we’re enhancing drone capabilities, improving autonomous systems, or contributing to groundbreaking research, every project reflects our mission to shape the future of UAS technology and its applications.
Explore our ongoing work and see how UROC is leading the way in developing innovative systems that bridge technology, research, and real-world solutions.
Cutting Edge Research
ArtIAMAS
ArtIAMAS is a collaboration between the Army Research Laboratory (ARL), the University of Maryland College Park (UMD), and the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) focused on developing advanced multi-agent systems for challenging environments. UROC supports ArtIAMAS by operating ARL’s UAS, designing and building new drones, and improving drone algorithms. A key project, Project 1.5, advances aerial autonomy, enabling drone swarms to coordinate searches in contested areas without relying on centralized communications.
Learn MoreDARPA Triage Challenge
UROC is participating as key member of the University of Maryland's RoboScout team in the DARPA Triage Challenge Systems Competition, contributing our expertise in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to support emergency medical response innovation. As part of the competition, we are integrating advanced drone technologies into scenarios focused on AI-driven casualty assessment. Our role involves developing and demonstrating UAS capabilities that could enable rapid situational awareness and support medical triage efforts in complex environments. Through this collaboration with the Maryland Robotics Center, we’re helping explore how unmanned systems can play a critical role in future emergency response operations.
Learn MoreApplied Research
Chesapeake UAS Route Network
Development and integration of a network designed to enable unmanned aircraft to be flown safely within airspace over the Chesapeake Bay region that also includes conventional, piloted aircraft. In addition, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) utilizing the network could fly beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) and over populated areas. Currently, most UAS operations are constrained by BVLOS requirements and restrictions on flying over people.
Learn MoreChimera
The Chimera is a modular, 3D-printed UAS platform designed as a standardized yet easily modifiable solution for aerial autonomy and perception research. Developed and engineered by UROC, Chimera supports multi-agent operations and advanced sensing capabilities. Two models have been built: Chimera A (1.5 kg), featuring a fixed RGB camera and Qualcomm smartphone processor, and Chimera D (2.5 kg), equipped with a gimballed RGB/thermal camera system, a laser rangefinder, and NVIDIA Jetson for onboard video processing.
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