ALPENA, Mich. (AP) – Those involved in a drone research effort at a Michigan airport are holding a public event to mark testing of unmanned aircraft at the facility. WHSB-FM reports a flight by a small aircraft is planned Thursday morning at Alpena County Regional Airport by Birmingham-based R4 Robotics. The tests at the airport will take about a week to complete and will focus on system control and reliability. The R4 Roller is designed for use by law enforcement, military and utilities as well as for inspecting the interior of large enclosed spaces. The Northern Michigan Unmanned Aerial Systems Consortium is working to boost testing of unmanned systems. The consortium’s CEO Jim Makowske says the event represents “very tangible results of years of effort” by Alpena County and a number of partners.
