Drone manufacturer shows off latest technology at NC State

Drones have been out for years, but the technology continues to improve. In a lot of instances drones are helping fire responders’ jobs become safer.

“Let’s go fly into hazardous situations, and not put humans at risk,” said Kyle Snyder.

Snyder is the director North Carolina State’s NextGen Air Transportation program. He has worked with drones at State for the last five years, helping people in a range of fields find uses for drones.

For people like Quavas Hart, drones went from being a hobby to a profession.

In October 2016, floods from Hurricane Matthew left a Hope Mills neighborhoods destroyed and people stranded. Hart was able to locate and send a rescue team to one man trapped in his flooded home with the use of his drone.

Since then, Hart has been working with Synergistic Solutions International; a company that works with drones. Thursday, Hart helped demonstrate what drone technology can do to help save lives.

“Dull, dirty and dangerous, that’s what these things were built for,” said Snyder.

Snyder says even though drones have been out for years they are still new technology.

“The use and practice of how to get the most out of this is still evolving,” he said.

Several local agencies were at the demonstration – including the fire departments of Raleigh and Chapel Hill, Wake County EMS and sheriff’s officials and Edgecombe County officials.