The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) opened 55 years ago as part of the University of Texas System. With more than 30,000 students, UTSA is the largest university in San Antonio. It is a public university classified as an R1 Very High Research Institution. In recent years, UTSA has become a popular destination for students looking to enter engineering fields through the Margie and Bill Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design (CEID). Within the CEID is the university’s Aerospace Engineering program, directed by Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Christopher S. Combs.

As demand for drones continues to grow, CEID has shifted its focus to incorporate more programs dedicated to drone technology. The university now offers a wide range of programs that prepare students to use drones as research and commercial tools. Most of the classes take place in labs, but as Professor Combs points out, there is only so much that can be done indoors with a device that is meant to be used outdoors. In 2020, the Klesse College administration submitted a grant application to UTSA’s Strategic Investment Fund in hopes of raising money to build a new drone testing facility.

The grant application was approved for approximately $150,000. In collaboration with the UTSA Risk and Emergency Management Office, UTSA Architecture Office, and UTSA Facilities, construction began in June 2023. The project development and implementation were spearheaded by Associate Dean of Research David Akopian and Senior Associate Dean of Administration and Graduate Studies Anson Ong. The multi-department sponsored project resulted in what Professor Combs describes as a giant batting cage.

Occupying 900,000 cubic feet on the east side of UTSA’s Downtown Campus is a fully enclosed, outdoor drone testing facility. Measuring 150 feet wide, 100 feet long, and 60 feet high, the drone testing cage provides the perfect location to test drones to the extreme. “This is a pretty rare thing,” Professor Combs said. “It is one of the largest netted drone enclosures in the state of Texas, if not the largest. There aren’t many other university drone enclosures in the United States that I’m aware of that are larger than this one. This is a unique resource that’s going to give us some opportunities to do a lot of things that you simply can’t do anywhere else, so we expect this to be a bit of a draw.”

The drone testing cage will provide users with a unique way of testing drones. Students will no longer be confined to simulations or small lab spaces to apply drone principles. But, because the outdoor facility is still enclosed, it presents a safe environment to test drones. Because of the netting surrounding the drone cage, users do not need to comply with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations. “This gives us a lot of freedom of movement and a very large area to conduct drone-related research,” Professor Combs explained. “We can also fly demonstrations or conduct training without having to worry about some of the safety issues that come up when you’re in fully open air. You have much more room to work than in an enclosed lab environment.”

Professor Combs went on to say that he hopes the outdoor drone facility will be beneficial to the entire San Antonio community. He is encouraging local businesses, schools, and organizations to think outside the proverbial box and begin experimenting inside UTSA’s drone test cage. “We want people to engage in these drone activities and be able to share this resource with the city of San Antonio and the broader community,” he said. “We really do welcome people who have ideas about how they could leverage a unique facility like this to reach out to us and talk about how we could program some activities that will really make an impact in this field.”

The prospect of making the outdoor drone facility available to resources beyond the university was a major selling point in the grant application process. A facility of this magnitude not only enhances the quality of education and research for university students but also provides economic benefits. It has not been announced if there will be fees for non-university members to use the facility; however, it solidifies San Antonio as a community excited to embrace and further the expansion of the drone industry. With UTSA’s new outdoor, fully enclosed drone testing facility, San Antonio is poised to become the next big drone industry hub.

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