Remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS, or drones)

The RPAS Hub: Drone Education, Training and Research at BCIT

The RPAS Hub at BCIT

Welcome to the RPAS Hub, BCIT’s collaborative centre for education, training, and research in drone technology.

Drones, now referred to as remotely piloted aircraft systems or RPAS, merge aircraft technology with fields as diverse as surveying, emergency response, and equipment inspection—all areas of BCIT expertise. As British Columbia’s leader in aerospace and technology education, we are committed to ensuring the successful application of RPAS technology to learning, research, and industry.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE RPAS HUB

Hub in the News

RPAS and AI: A Powerful Combination

Hub member Dr. Michal Aibin is combining his research in computer vision algorithms with RPAS technology to battle wildfires and improve remote airport runway inspections.

Salmon Habitat Protection

As summer temperatures rise, salmon rely on pools of cooler groundwater to thrive. We’ve been partnering with the Pacific Salmon Foundation to scan rivers for these thermal refuges in habitat preservation efforts. See A Look from Above: How Drones Can Support Salmon Battling Climate Change.

A second part of this work is training local salmon stewardship teams to safely and effectively use drone technology to map salmon habitats. The photos show Dr. Eric Saczuk giving an industry services training session for the Kitasoo X’ai X’ais First Nation in Klemtu, BC, August 16 to 20.

See more Hub in the News.

young woman holds out a drone over a forest river, second woman in background and man holding drone controller — Images: Eric Saczuk

young man holding drone controller while an older man points to the screen

close-up of drone controller screen showing thermal image

Featured Projects

Search and Rescue

RPAS search and rescue

Advancements in RPAS technology are relieving the time-sensitive, risky, and expensive task of rescuing people in BC’s backcountry.

Read about Dr. Michal Aibin’s research into real-time object detection

Antarctica

Climate change research in Antarctica

Climate change is affecting the polar regions at a faster rate than anywhere in the world. But the distances and harsh climates make these regions tough to monitor. A BCIT drone expert set out to learn how drones could help capture data about the changing environment in Antarctica.

READ ABOUT DR. SACZUK’S RESEARCH TRIP

Invasive Species

Mapping invasive species with multispectral imagery

A series of student projects used RPAS to explore a long-standing problem in natural areas management—detecting and managing invasive species. The results have real-world applications for land management and government corporations such as TransLink.

READ ABOUT STUDENT FIELDWORK USING RPAS