NSYSU designated southern Taiwan’s national drone center
By Hsu Li-chuan and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer
National Sun Yat-sen University (NSYSU) has been designated by the Ministry of Education as southern Taiwan’s only national drone center as the government seeks to bolster domestic drone development and reduce reliance on Chinese supply chains.
The university recently won two three-year projects including key technologies and applications for commercial-grade military drones and the establishment of a national regional drone soccer center.
The projects aim to train domestic talent to address a shortage of specialists in advanced drone research and development, as well as practical drone operation and management, the university said on Thursday.
A soldier from the Army Special Operations Command operates drone equipment in an undated photograph.
Photo courtesy of the Military News Agency
The university’s location gives it access to coastal, lowland and mountainous terrain, providing varied and challenging environments for drone testing and training, it said.
Students would learn to operate drones in complex terrain, gaining skills that could prove valuable in military applications, it said.
The programs would also train personnel in intelligent mobility, autonomous artificial intelligence (AI) systems and emerging defense technologies, it added.
The university’s research team has developed technology capable of transmitting 1080p high-definition video over distances of more than 100km, meeting military requirements for long-range communications.
The technology also features military-grade anti-jamming capabilities, AI-powered autonomous mission execution, and automatic takeoff and landing, the university said.
The technologies would be incorporated into courses and practical training, giving students experience with defense systems designed to meet industry standards and military requirements, it said.
National Sun Yat-sen University president Lee Chih-peng (李智鵬) said developing indigenous technologies and bolstering defense self-reliance were key priorities for Taiwan.
The university plans to combine expertise in information engineering, telecommunications, automatic control, AI, mechatronics and hydrogen fuel cells, while working with industry, government and research institutions to train specialists for Taiwan’s drone industry, Lee said.
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