Big ideas are taking flight at Michigan! On a clear day at U-M’s North Campus Research Complex, student pilots Elton Wong and Timothy Garland made history with the university’s first student-piloted FAA Part 107 commercial drone flight. Flying a Skydio X10 drone 100 to 200 feet above a solar array, the duo put cutting-edge technology to work, using infrared and visual cameras to spot thermal hotspots across individual solar panels. What started as a real-world maintenance challenge became a milestone moment in student-led innovation, proving that hands-on learning can take you to new heights.
Making this milestone flight happen took serious teamwork! With support from Mcity’s M-air team and Jim Lollar, manager of test facilities, the students navigated complex airspace requirements to ensure a safe, successful mission. The flight marked the culmination of months of hands-on engineering and testing through the CFE’s Perot Jain TechLab Air & Space program. Working with Raptor Maps VP of Engineering Joshua DelCastillo, company mentors, and DTE Energy, the team developed specialized flight plans and sensor technology to inspect solar panels. Using Raptor Maps’ analytics platform, they turned flight data into a working proof of concept for automated Beyond Visual Line of Sight commercial & industrial (C&I) solar inspections.
This is what hands-on learning at Michigan is all about! Students go beyond the classroom to tackle real-world challenges, work alongside industry leaders, and turn big ideas into real impact. For industry partners, the CFE’s Perot Jain TechLab brings together talented students, cutting-edge technology, and world-class facilities like Mcity to test new ideas and advance innovation. Together, they’re proving that student-powered innovation can break barriers, solve tough challenges, and help build a cleaner, smarter future.
Learn more about the Perot Jain TechLab Air & Space Program.