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Max Maurice is an Electronics Engineer and Principal Investigator for the Highly Mobile Deployed Networks project at the Public Safety Communications Research division (PSCR) of NIST. Mr. Maurice’s research at PSCR is focused on bringing drone technology to first responder agencies to ensure consistent communications in hard to reach areas.
PSCR’s communications team interviewed Mr. Maurice to learn more about his research and his upcoming on-demand session at PSCR 2021 The Digital Experience.
Can you describe your current role and what you’re researching at PSCR?
MM: I m a researcher within PSCR for the Highly Mobile Deployed Networks project. The project is specifically sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T) and is one of the interagency partnerships PSCR has with the other federal agencies.
Credit: C. Robertson/CSU
Working outside is always a highlight for me at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). It happens more often than you might think, and probably earlier in the day, too. Last month I drove out to Fort Collins, Colorado, at 5 in the morning to conduct some measurements for my research on broadband for public safety communications and applications. My colleague, Roger Blalock, and I set up several tripods with smartphones that morning around Christman Airfield, a test airport owned by Colorado State University. It was cold and tedious, but at the same time we were both more than happy to be there. The smartphones measured connectivity data from an LTE cellular transmitter attached to a drone flying overhead. It’s a really cool idea for bringing broadband service to first responders in the field, and I hope the concept takes off (no pun intended).