Video game effort could help regulate future drone traffic
SALT LAKE CITY — Drones ferrying medical supplies, packages and even pizza could one day be crisscrossing the skies above U.S. cities, and a team at the University of Utah is working with regulators to keep that future traffic in check using a video game.
The simulation unveiled Wednesday uses a 3-D model of Salt Lake City, similar to games like Sim City, and data about planned drone paths to determine potential problem areas.
“You can play with all these variables and figure out a system that works,” said Mikaila Young, a producer on the game and graduate student at the Entertainment Arts and Engineering program.
Young and her team are developing the game for the Utah Department of Transportation, which is working with the Federal Aviation Administration to prepare for the widespread use of commercial drones in the coming years.