Asst. Professor Wins $12,000 Grant for Acoustic Detection of UAVs

Asst. professor wins $12,000 grant for acoustic detection of UAVs

Dr. Teresa Ryan, an assistant professor in the College’s Department of Engineering, is the new recipient of a $12,000 grant from the NC Space Grant New Investigator Program.

The grant will extend an existing Office of Naval Research project that’s looking at how to predict the on-shore detectability of ships given current weather, such as winds, sea state and temperature profile.  Specifically, this grant will directly fund the characterization of the full sound field from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in operation. The measurement tools that will be developed for the research could potentially be used for many other acoustic measurement applications, e.g., noise pollution measurements.

About the new grant, Dr. Ryan says, “I’m particularly excited about this project because it is a collaborative effort with one of the local high schools,  South Central High School (SCHS).  I have partnered with Principal Janarde Cannon and science teacher Elizabeth Pate at SCHS, as well as select high school students to participate in the field measurements that will take place on the school’s campus.  It’s a great opportunity for them to witness research in action, get excited about engineering, and see firsthand that a future in engineering doesn’t mean life in a cubicle.”

“This research is complementary to Dr. Ryan’s ongoing efforts to understand and exploit outdoor sound propagation,” said Dr. Hayden Griffin, department of engineering chair. “The results of this work are important to some fields, including national defense and support of our warfighters. Given the number of UAVs currently in use and planned implementation, this research will also aid in public safety and understanding of how to mitigate potential threats from UAVs.”