The University of California, Merced is a leader in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or unmanned aerial system (UAS) research. CITRIS at UC Merced specializes in gathering scientific data using unmanned aerial vehicles, with the goal of developing practical solutions in the fields of agriculture and landscape ecology, as well as promoting the use and understanding of aerial data collection in the community. To that end they conduct mapping flights for various university research projects, and also offer drone training courses. 

CITRIS at UC Merced addresses California’s most pressing societal and environmental problems by leveraging cutting-edge technologies, incorporating a convergence of the following focuses: Student-Driven Initiatives, Seed Grants & Faculty Research, and Corporate Partnerships. CITRIS builds upon UC Merced’s facilities and resources, offering research partnership opportunities to industry, and offering UAS instruction to their partners as well as to the general public.