FOR THE PEOPLE
COURTESY OF RENCI
RENCI Takes Off
After Real-World Problems
RENCI grew
out of Dan
Reed’s vision of
a place that
could draw on
the collaborative
talent of the
three Triangle
research
universities,
applying
cross-disciplinary
ideas to thorny
real-world
problems.
Aminiature helicopter flying over a
storm-ravaged county one day may
become a welcome sight for hurricane victims. Its presence will signal the
mounting of disaster relief operations —
this unmanned aerial vehicle is digitally
equipped to receive measurements from
sensors on the ground, giving rescue workers a read on everything from storm surge
damage to current water levels. Camera-equipped, it also could offer aerial views of
disaster scenes, feeding its data to a base
camp created for the occasion by relief
teams.
High-tech helicopters may not be
among the University’s claims to fame, but
now they’re part of the repertoire of the
Carolina-based Renaissance Computing
Institute.
Launched in 2004 not long after director Dan Reed came to Chapel Hill,
RENCI grew out of Reed’s vision of a
place that could draw on the collaborative
talent of the three Triangle research universities, applying cross-disciplinary ideas to
thorny real-world problems. Offices at
UNC-Asheville and East Carolina University are expected to open by the end of the
year.
RENCI’s headquarters is expected to be
one of the anchors of Carolina North, the
satellite campus envisioned to be home to
UNC academic-entrepreneurial interests.
RENCI’s research in disaster relief and
management extends from new forecasting
tools for storm surge and icing to the creation of a data infrastructure that can provide a more accurate analysis of what a
given weather system is likely to do. The
helicopter and related airborne tools
emerged from discussions with emergency
managers around the state. The helicopter
was built by Nascent Technology Corp.,
then re-configured and armed with state-of-the-art electronics by RENCI.
Communication problems pose the
biggest challenge in a storm’s aftermath.
RENCI’s helicopter can provide a quick
look at situations rescue workers can’t
reach immediately, working in tandem
Communication
problems pose the
biggest challenge in
a storm’s aftermath.
The helicopter can
provide a quick look
at situations that
rescue workers can’t
reach immediately,
working in tandem
with a tethered
balloon.
