Full Sail Stories

Full Sail’s educational philosophy champions hands-on learning with industry-standard equipment, and the university is adding a new campus facility that speaks to those ideals: the Full Sail University Drone Innovation Center. Scheduled to open in early December, the indoor facility gives students studying simulation engineering, computer science, artificial intelligence, live event production, cybersecurity, and more the opportunity to study the construction, engineering, and operation of drones.

“In listening to the pulse of industries that our alumni serve, we’re expanding our emerging technologies and entertainment media education and on-campus facilities to further incorporate the use, research, and study of drone technology,” says Dr. Haifa Maamar, Full Sail’s Executive Director of Emerging Technologies. “This technology is used across numerous sectors that our students and graduates enter, including commercial, industrial, business, media, military, live events, and entertainment.”

The Drone Innovation Center boasts more than 7,870 square feet of purpose-built rooms that support drone innovation and education. The Advanced Airspace is a fully netted 3,564 square-foot flight zone where students can explore drone races and autonomous drone navigation, plus the safety, security, and defense applications of drones. In the Engineering & Manufacturing room, students can print and assemble drone frames using 3D printers and soldering stations and use testing equipment on drones.

The Simulation & Programming area lets students test flight simulations using AI, computer vision, and drone simulation software, while the Remote Operations room can teach students techniques for monitoring, coordinating, and controlling drones from a distance. The Communications space is equipped for podcasting, livestreaming, and other multimedia communication tools, and the Situation Room gives educators and students a place to debrief, review flight footage, learn new software, and more.

Additional information regarding events, tournaments, and more will be announced closer to the opening of the Full Sail University Drone Innovation Center.