New York State today announced the completion of 'Skydome', a $13 million dollar indoor drone testing facility, that is the largest in the United States.

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The nation's largest UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) testing center has officially opened in Oneida County.  The project, known as Skydome (Not to be confused with the home of the Toronto Blue Jays)  located in the Griffiss Business and Technology Park in Rome, is inside a former airplane hangar.  The massive cutting-edge indoor facility is the largest of its kind in the nation.

 New York Governor Kathy Hochul said via a press release:

Skydome joins a growing number of technology companies in calling New York their home and cements Mohawk Valley's status as a global center for innovation. We will remain laser-focused on continuing our landmark investments throughout the state, and forge strong partnerships between all levels of government partner and the public sector.

Unmanned Aircraft Systems, or UAS, do not have a human operator on board.  More commonly referred to as drones, UAS are piloted remotely or can fly autonomously.  A typical UAS setup includes an aircraft with no pilot on board, a remote pilot station, a control link, and may contain cameras or other sensors that collect data for analysis.

UAS can be used to capture images that are too risky for piloted aircraft to obtain, like fires.

With 'Skydome' complete and operational, New York State will now be able to provide year-round, indoor testing of Unmanned Aircraft Systems including artificial intelligence-based flight controls and autonomous swarms of small drones.

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