Midwest Theater presents "Science on Screen: Flying Farmhands: The Future of Drone Technology in Agriculture"

On Thurs., Jan 25, at 7 p.m., the Midwest Theater presents the Science on Screen^® event “Flying Farmhands: The Future of Drone Technology in Agriculture.”
 
Wayne Woldt, director of the Nebraska Unmanned Aircraft Innovation, Research and Education (NU-AIRE) laboratory at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, will talk about his reserach on cutting-edge uses of drones in agriculture. Following the talk will be a panel discussion with Dr. Woldt, Don Masten of AirScout and Tracy O’Neal of Western Nebraska Community College, and a screening of the film “Rotor DR1.” Examples of some types of drones used in agricultural research will be on display in the Midwest Theater lobby prior to the event.
 
“Rotor DR1” follows the story of 16-year-old Kitch, who is living alone in a post-pandemic world where automated drones once meant to deliver vaccines are instead harvested for their energy sources. Kitch finds an unusual drone that sets him on a journey to search for his father. “Rotor DR1” is unusual because it’s a film-length cut of a 10-episode web series produced with the support of an online community that provided feedback before production and after each episode's release.
 
Midwest Theater Development Director Katie Bradshaw noted that the topic of drones is very current.
 
“A Nebraska Senator has just introduced a bill that would regulate drones in the state to address safety and privacy concerns,” Bradshaw said. “There are plenty of ways drones are already being used in Nebraska, including agricultural surveys and rail bridge inspections. This Science on Screen event will provide an opportunity to hear about current University of Nebraska research on drones and to talk and think about possibilities and implications of how drones are used in our agricultural areas and in our communities.”
 
WHAT: FREE* Science on Screen film-and-discussion
WHEN: Thurs., Jan 25 7 p.m. (Please note the earlier start time)

Event partners and sponsors for this event include the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Panhandle Research and Extension Center, Western Nebraska Community College, Farm Credit Services of America, Walther Farms, Trail Animal Clinic, Kelley Bean Company, Connecting Point, Dinklage Feed Yard, the Nebraska Arts Council and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment.
 
This film-and-discussion event at the historic Midwest Theater in Scottsbluff is a part of the national Science on Screen program supported by The Coolidge Corner Theater and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The goal of the Science on Screen series is to increase science literacy by creatively pairing screenings of classic, cult, science fiction, and documentary films with lively presentations by notable experts from the world of science and technology. Each film is used as a jumping-off point for a speaker to introduce current research or technological advances in a manner that engages popular culture audiences. For more information about Science on Screen, visit http://scienceonscreen.org.
 
The last 2017-2018 Science on Screen event will be on weather variability and future careers in agriculture, featuring the film “Future Weather” on March 22, 2018 at 7 p.m.