Dr. Siu O'Young

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) as a technology is disruptive, but operating UAS beyond visual line‐of‐sight (BVLOS) remains both a technological and a regulatory challenge. UAS must detect and avoid (DAA) other air traffic for them to operate safely BVLOS. Research and
development of DAA sensors at Memorial University (MUN) under AIF (Atlantic Innovation Funds) projects RAVEN and RAVEN II resulted in the start‐up of a company, Seamatica Aerospace, in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

This talk explores lessons learned over the last two decades in fostering a new commercial UAS market from the perspectives of: a university professor, an industrialist and a participant in international regulatory bodies.

Biography:

Dr. Siu O’Young conducts research on unmanned aircraft systems focusing on detect‐and‐avoid (DAA) technology for the safe integration of unmanned aircraft for beyond line‐of‐sight missions. He is a contributing member of the RTCA SC‐228 working group and the Standards
Council of Canada on defining DAA standards for unmanned aircraft and was on the Board of Unmanned System Canada.

Dr. O’Young served on the NATO Task Force HMF‐170 with the Multi‐agent Supervisory Control and Transport Canada with their UAV Working Group. He
earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Saskatchewan and his Ph. D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Waterloo. Then, he continued onto Oxford University, England where he designed control systems for nuclear power plants and military helicopters, prior to returning to Canada to join the University of Toronto.

Dr. O’Young is currently a full Professor at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador and CTO of Seamatica Aerospace, a manufacturer of DAA equipment, both located in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada.