AT THE Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, the Centre for Innovation and Research in Unmanned Systems (CIRUS) is a leading applied research centre focused on remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) and is the first remotely piloted aviation training centre in Canada. As part of SAIT’s Applied Research and Innovation Services (ARIS) Hub, CIRUS? work explores how RPAS, known as unmanned systems or drones, can be used to support a wide range of needs across industries — combining technology, data, and real world applications.

CIRUS? mission is to expand the role drones play in data acquisition, management, analytics and dissemination, while helping organisations operate more effectively within diverse regulatory and operational environments. Through applied research, the centre addresses industry challenges with the innovative use of RPAS and sensors, as well as the customisation, validation, integration and analysis of the data gathered.

While much of CIRUS? work is focused in the sky, its research extends beyond, exploring terrestrial and submersible drones and sensors, reflecting a broader approach to the research that supports complex, real world applications.

Building on this collective expertise, CIRUS? Environmental Resiliency and Sustainability Hub (ERSH) delivers impact-driven solutions across critical application areas, including disaster management, search and rescue operations, wildfire response, wildlife management, and natural resource management. ERSH helps align research, technology development, and real-world deployment to address these challenges in a coordinated and scalable way.

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, CIRUS and University of Calgary’s W21C Research and Innovation Centre explored drone delivery of medical supplies to remote communities. This initiative aimed to enhance access to COVID-19 testing and critical healthcare resources, overcoming geographical barriers through RPAS. A successful test flight demonstrated the potential of drones to support medical logistics, paving the way for future applications in emergency healthcare delivery across Canada.

Wade Hawkins, CIRUS Research Chair, said: “The concept for this project began during a lunch between Dr John Conly from W21C, and myself, two months before COVID-19. We were discussing the integration of drone technology and healthcare when we ended up sketching out a project idea on a cocktail napkin. Two months later, COVID-19 hit, and we refocused our research question — the rest is history.