Research Fellow in Human Computer Interaction (HCI) and Visualization at Autodesk joins distinguished list.

Innovation.. The word evokes images of fantastical high-rises, robot-filled factories, driverless cars, and… cowboys? For most of us, innovation hubs are buzzing metropolises—and not necessarily a city known for rodeos and woolen mills. But that’s what Pendleton, Oregon is.rnrnSitting almost exactly halfway between Portland and Boise, Idaho, is Pendleton, a town that fully embraces a Wild West aesthetic, with Stetsons outnumbering slouch beanies by a wide margin. But how do you bring the 1820s into the 2020s? You take a former World War II bomber facility and provide something that most high-tech cities can’t: endless sky.rnu003ca href=u0022https://www.research.autodesk.com/?attachment_id=4211u0022 rel=u0022attachment wp-att-4211u0022u003eu003cimg class=u0022alignnone wp-image-4211 size-mediumu0022 style=u0022float: right;u0022 src=u0022https://www.research.autodesk.com/app/uploads/2023/10/drone-image-300×225.jpgu0022 alt=u0022u0022 width=u0022300u0022 height=u0022225u0022 /u003eu003c/au003ernu003ca href=u0022https://conferences.autodesk.com/flow/autodesk/au2023/sessioncatalog/page/inperson/session/1686766356469001ZdxOu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noopeneru0022u003eJoin me at AUu003c/au003e where we’ll talk about how Autodesk’s Outsight Network resident, u003ca href=u0022https://www.pendletonuasrange.com/u0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noopeneru0022u003ePendelton UAS Rangeu003c/au003e, was born to solve a community need for economic growth—and ended up being so much more: a fully functioning test facility for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and now, a Center of Innovation Excellence. As they like to say, “there’s a reason a drone isn’t proven until it’s proven in Pendleton.”rnrnA rural area is the best fit for the needs of UAS projects and the companies that are developing them. Unlike an urban setting where buildings, decibels, and jurisdictions create many barriers, there are often very few restrictions in a rural area. When testing a UAS for flight, the Pendleton UAS Range is fully equipped to suit the needs of any company.rnrnIn addition to its advantageous location, this rural city has connected and engaged its innovators with the local community. By connecting the Indigenous community and current customer, u003ca href=u0022https://sprightuas.com/u0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noopeneru0022u003eSpright UASu003c/au003e, the startup helped solve a supply chain issue at a local hospital. u003ca href=u0022https://silent-arrow.com/u0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noopeneru0022u003eSilent Arrowu003c/au003e has engaged hard-to-reach communities with a single-use UAS system. Many of these connections start at the communal event, Drinks n’ Drones (now known as Brats N Brews), where I personally witnessed how these relationships can begin. This focus on connection has sparked levels of engagement from the communities it serves and made its mark outside of the annual u003ca href=u0022https://www.pendletonroundup.com/u0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noopeneru0022u003ePendleton Roundupu003c/au003e rodeo and the well-known u003ca href=u0022https://www.pendleton-usa.com/u0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noopeneru0022u003ePendleton Woolen Millsu003c/au003e.rnrnThese challenges are not unique to Oregon. Rural communities around the United States are facing the same issues of economic stability and growth. The question then becomes: can this rural model for innovation and impact be replicated? And if so, how?rnrnu003ca href=u0022https://conferences.autodesk.com/flow/autodesk/au2023/sessioncatalog/page/inperson/session/1686766356469001ZdxOu0022 target=u0022_blanku0022 rel=u0022noopeneru0022u003eJoin us at AUu003c/au003e as we lead with impact to explore this question. In conversation with Pendleton and Amazon, we’ll detail the journey of how the economic challenges of one city also became a major opportunity for innovation and growth in the community.