
Drones Are The New Black
From This Week in Tech with Jeanne Destro by Jeanne Destro
May 22, 2026 · 21 min
About this episode
This episode discusses the evolving role of drones in various fields and features experts training the next generation of drone professionals.
You can dress them up, you can dress them down, and you can use them anywhere. Drones are technology's new little black dress; delivering everything from bombs, to life-saving medicine, and this week we're going to talk to some experts from Northeast Ohio who are helping train the students who will be the backbone of tomorrow's professional drone workforce. Our featured guests are Dr. Manigandan "Mani" Kannan, who is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Akron, and Kent State University Assistant Aeronautics Professor, Jason Lorenzon. Kannan, who is the Advisor for the U-A drone team, tells us they won second place two years in a row, in a prestigious national competition, beating out a number of much bigger, and more well-funded schools. Lorenzon, who is also an Attorney, wrote the book, "Drone Law: The Past Present And The Future", a few years ago, on the laws that regulate how drones can be used in the United States, which he is the process of revising as both drone technology and public policy related to it, evolve. Listen now as we set the stage with stories about how little drones are making a big difference in major military conflicts around…
People in this episode
Host: Jeanne Destro
Guests: Dr. Manigandan "Mani" Kannan, Jason Lorenzon
Topics covered
- drones
- technology
- education
- law
- military
- medicine
Keywords
- drones
- technology
- education
- law
- military
- medicine
- drone workforce
- U-A drone team
- drone competition
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: University of Akron, Kent State University
Books & works: Drone Law: The Past Present And The Future
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