PURPOSE & MISSION

Berkeley Drone Technologies (BDT) exists to help governments, institutions, and industry partners develop durable, next-generation drone capabilities grounded in rigorous engineering and real-world validation. The organization focuses on the design, operation, and integration of drone ecosystems that extend beyond individual platforms to include infrastructure, training, systems architecture, and long-term operational readiness.

BDT is founded on the principle that advanced drone applications require more than hardware or software alone. Effective deployment depends on standards, validation environments, and deep technical understanding across autonomy, sensing, materials, energy, and digital systems. Through close collaboration with the Center for Applied Drone Research at UC Berkeley, BDT translates cutting-edge research into deployable infrastructure and institutional capability, supporting partners as they align drone technologies with strategic priorities.

FACULTY-LED PRACTICE

Berkeley Drone Technologies is founded and led by faculty from the UC Berkeley School of Engineering, alongside senior practitioners with extensive experience in large-scale systems, infrastructure, and deployment. The founding faculty are internationally recognized researchers whose work has shaped modern approaches to autonomous systems, digital twins, advanced manufacturing, sensing, and multi-vehicle coordination.

Collectively, these leaders have directed decades of federally, state-, and industry-funded research programs, overseen major experimental facilities, and contributed to real-world deployments across aerospace, robotics, energy systems, transportation infrastructure, and national resilience initiatives.