Tech Xplore: Engineers design a quieter future for drones
UC aerospace engineering students work to dampen noise from drones and flying cars
Tech Xplore highlighted research by aerospace engineering students at the University of Cincinnati to reduce the noise of drones and flying cars.
UC College of Engineering and Applied Science assistant professor Daniel Cuppoletti and his students are examining how propellers in different sizes, configurations, number and rotation can affect noise.
Students presented their research at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics' Science and Technology Forum and Exposition in January.
"I'm looking at noise from a societal impact," Cuppoletti said. "These vehicles have to be imperceptible in the environment they fly in or someone will have to take the brunt of that impact."
Cuppoletti and his students study propeller noise in an anechoic chamber lined with sound-dampening tiles.
Featured image at top: UC aerospace engineering researchers study propeller noise by using laser light to examine air vortices. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Creative + Brand
UC College of Engineering and Applied Science assistant professor Daniel Cuppoletti studies propeller noise in an anechoic chamber in an aerospace engineering lab. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Creative + Brand
Related Stories
Putting preschool into perspective
July 20, 2026
Preschool and childcare can be difficult to navigate for parents, as Spectrum News 1 Ohio recently reported. Waitlists are long, and factors like cost, location and transportation can limit options. According to a recent study published by The Annie E. Casey Foundation, only 41% of 3- to 4-year-olds in Ohio were enrolled in preschool between 2020 and 2024 — a 4% decrease from pre-pandemic numbers. For University of Cincinnati early childhood education faculty member Chad Nunamaker, that statistic has caveats.
Engineering magnets for a cleaner future
July 20, 2026
The United States is heavily reliant on imported rare-earth materials to make permanent magnets. Ugochukwu Philip Ochieze, materials science student at the University of Cincinnati, is studying how to use common materials to create permanent magnets, eliminating the need for expensive and scarce rare-earth materials. Pursuing his PhD, Ochieze was named Graduate Student Engineer of the Month by the College of Engineering and Applied Science.
Ticks that survive pesticides can withstand colder winters
July 17, 2026
Ticks that survive less-than-lethal doses of pesticide are able to withstand dangerous cold, which could help them expand their range farther north, according to researchers at the University of Cincinnati and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.