Project Rural Reach
The UND Center for Innovation, UND School of Aerospace Sciences, UND Research Institute for Autonomous Systems (RIAS), and the UND Institute for Policy and Business Analytics are working in collaboration on an effort to enhance rural living using UAS technologies. The outcomes of this effort will include a statewide economic impact study and commercialization strategy for the VANTIS network and its’ associated industry value chain with focus on rural connectivity, tribal nations and coal-impacted communities in North Dakota
Project Rural Reach will execute 3 different Use Case Tests:
Rural Delivery
Watch the video below to see how UAS is transforming the delivery of medical supplies in rural communities.
Testing UAS applications for supply chain logistics and expanding access to essential goods.
Key Highlights
- The Golden Hour: Reducing 60-minute drives to 20-minute flights.
- BVLOS Breakthroughs: How radar systems allow drones to fly 25+ miles safely.
- Real-World Impact: Vital medical supplies delivered when local stock runs out.
- Economic Relief: Reducing the “economic drain” on rural families seeking care.
- Distance is vast, but our solutions are faster.
Sustainable Power
UND and industry partners successfully demonstrated long‑endurance, fully electric UAS flights, showcasing how sustainable, North Dakota–made power systems can enable rural aerospace operations.
Emergency/Disaster Response
Watch the video below to discover how UAS can serve as a “first responder in the sky.”
Deploying UAS for disaster response, real-time situational awareness, and resource mobilization in crisis scenarios.
Key Highlights
- Faster emergency response in remote areas
- Real-time aerial insights for first responders
- Thermal imaging to locate survivors
- Improved safety for crews and communities
- Reduced outages and infrastructure downtime
“Our goal is to further position North Dakota as a national leader while enabling us to know how to revolutionize rural living through the use of uncrewed aerial systems.”
Dr. Amy Whitney, Director of UND Center for Innovation
PROJECT UPDATES
- One Step Closer to Widespread Drone Use in Rural Areas
Project RuralReach, an initiative designed to use drones to dramatically improve rural life, successfully completes second use-case test - MEDIA ADVISORY: Demonstration to show how drones can boost rural resilience
Censys Technologies to lead live UAS demonstration for Project RuralReach at UND’s Gorman Field UAS Test Range - Project Rural Reach: Emergency Response UAS Test Launch
Join us at Project RuralReach’s Emergency Response UAS Test Launch to see UAS innovation in action!
project lead
