Forney to discuss 3D printing, drones at Rochester Institute of Technology

Steven Forney during a drone test on the UAH campus.

Michael Mercier | UAH

Steven Forney, a research associate at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) Systems Management and Production (SMAP) Center, will speak March 4 about 3D printing and multi-rotor drone technology at New York's Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) National Technical Institute for the Deaf as part of the Edmund Lyon Memorial Lectureship Series.

Forney will discuss the rise of 3D printing, its innovation benefits and how it applies to the technology of drones. He'll talk about how 3D printing is able to keep up with the continuous field maintenance and repair of drones and how use of the technology increases innovation, improves communication, reduces development costs, gathers more interest from clients and contractors and personalizes products.

Deaf since birth, Forney received cochlear implants in his 20s, but American Sign Language (ASL) is his primary form of communication. Working alongside Forney at the SMAP Center, UAH students learn ASL as well as the technical aspects of their jobs. SMAP is one of UAH's largest research departments.

Forney received his bachelor's degree in mechanical and electrical engineering from RIT. For the past 10 years, his experiences with reverse engineering, his internships at UAH and his continuing education at RIT provided him the opportunities to work in 3D printing and multi-rotor drone technology innovation. He is currently pursuing a master's degree in human-computer interaction at RIT through an online graduate program.