State task force to look at ways for agencies to use drones

The state has formed a task force aimed at identifying ways its agencies can use drones in their operations.

The Kansas Department of Transportation said Wednesday the Unmanned Aerial Systems Joint Task Force will also look at what state government can do to facilitate the private sector’s use of drones.

“We want to explore the sharing of ideas utilizing commercial applications of drones to improve efficiencies of state operations, such as using drones for bridge inspections, and also private sector applications,” interim Kansas Transportation Secretary Richard Carlson said in a news release.

Serving on the UAS task force will be: Josh Row, assistant secretary of Agriculture; Billy Brown, agribusiness development coordinator for the Department of Agriculture; Matt Keith, director of research for the Department of Commerce; Chris Tymeson, chief counsel for the Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism; Frank Papish, assistant director of the KBI; and Ron Seitz, chief of KDOT’s Division of Engineering and Design.

A KDOT spokesman said Bob Brock, the new director of UAS, will be overseeing the task force’s quarterly meetings and be a key point of contact for the group.

This story was originally published August 24, 2016 at 11:18 AM with the headline "State task force to look at ways for agencies to use drones."