Summary
On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Dr. Richard Ham, a seasoned transportation executive with four decades of experience in security safety operations and administration compliance and enforcement. Dr. Ham’s list of expertise and accomplishments is long and includes but is not limited to the associate director of the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Arkansas, where he co-leads the largest graduate program at the University of Arkansas. Throughout the episode, James and Dr. Ham talked about the progression of drones within the next couple of years and the mobility space in Bentonville. 

Thanks for tuning in!
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Show Notes:
(1:13) Introduction to Dr. Ham
(3:00) About Dr. Ham
(5:37) Dr. Ham’s Passion for Aviation
(8:36) The Progression of Drones
(25:29) The UP.Summit
(34:17) University of Arkansas Planning Grant
(37:12) Fully Autonomous Trucks
(40:09) Presence of Mobility Companies in Bentonville
(45:39) How to Get Involved in the Mobility Space
(57:13) Closing Questions
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‍Links
JAMES BELL‍‍
DR. RICHARD HAM
UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS

Quotes
“…if you want to deliver something to Jonesboro, there’s just no good way to get there because it’s pretty rural…the ability to have an automated cargo route that would make the flight in an hour and a half and then turn and work it the other way. It starts to connect communities in a way that nobody really thought about.” – Dr. Richard Ham, (16:14)

“If you think of these small towns, it affects how commerce happens. If you can get something in three hours then do you have to have as many brick and mortars? There’s gonna be a discussion about that and some really smart people that think that way in retail and wholesale are gonna think about how we do distribution if this is our model now.” – Dr. Richard Ham, (22:16)

“We’re gonna talk about where we are with our ability to accept manufacturing and workforce readiness…If you don’t have that foundation, you end up with a lot of voices, but there’s never a consolidated voice that people will look to when they are looking to come here.” – Dr. Richard Ham, (32:58)

“Developing that framework and then knowing where to step up from there is really important because if you don’t, then when you start making some decisions later on, you’re going to wish you’d have done that differently because it would have been better.” – Dr. Richard Ham, (38:08)‍‍
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Leading the Smart Mobility Revolution with Dr. Richard Ham
On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Dr. Richard Ham, a seasoned transportation executive with four decades of experience in security safety operations and administration compliance and enforcement. Dr. Ham’s list of expertise and accomplishments is long and includes but is not limited to the associate director of the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Arkansas, where he co-leads the largest graduate program at the University of Arkansas. Throughout the episode, James and Dr. Ham talked about the progression of drones within the next couple of years and the mobility space in Bentonville.
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The Future of Automated Aircraft
When it comes to aviation, the idea that the technology is new is not necessarily accurate. The difference between the past and modern-day aircraft is that today’s aircraft have significantly more autonomy. In the past, humans were required to be the eyes and ears of the aircraft, but now, the aircraft is able to sense its place in space due to GPS technology.
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There is no way to acquire more airspace, so we must come up with ways for airspace to be utilized effectively, and aircraft autonomy is helping us do that. Eventually, there will be so many aircraft that air traffic control towers will need to adapt and advance. The current system is not scalable, but if we can come up with a way to blend some of the disciplines together into a single technology, there could be a solution. 

The main challenge that we face with this drastic change in technology is how to keep it safe and secure. In the history of aircraft, planes started out carrying mail, then progressed to cargo, and finally to carrying passengers. In the next ten years, aircraft will continue to develop in a similar way. Whether it be ziplines carrying people and cargo across mountainous areas or something mirroring rockets, the ideas are going to have to go through trials and certifications in order to be able to integrate cargo and passenger travel. 

“…if you want to deliver something to Jonesboro, there’s just no good way to get there because it’s pretty rural…the ability to have an automated cargo route that would make the flight in an hour and a half and then turn and work it the other way. It starts to connect communities in a way that nobody really thought about.” – Dr. Richard Ham, (16:14)
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The Scalability of Growth in Bentonville
‍Hosting the UP.Summit in Bentonville is an important opportunity because it attracts people from all over, allowing them to see the entrepreneurship that NWA has to offer. They see how much this area is developing, and they start to ask themselves if there’s a space for them to build something here.

One of the things that people always seem to notice when they visit Bentonville is that this area prioritizes quality of life. It focuses on creating an environment where the next generation can raise kids and explore their interests, whatever they may be.

Although it’s amazing that more people want to move to NWA, there are two ways we need to be prepared. The first is having proper workforce development. The traditional way to develop a workforce is to graduate from high school, move away and obtain an education, then hopefully make your way back home. But, what’s developing now is that you don’t have to move away—you can get real-world experience and education here, and there will be job opportunities available afterward.

The second way to prepare is to make sure we develop our infrastructure along with the industry that is being developed. If people make flying cars, but there is no terrain to test them locally, then how can they keep developing flying cars? Overall, it’s not only locals who are excited about the industry and cultural growth in Bentonville. However, it’s important the community understands there needs to be scalability in order to keep attracting outside entrepreneurs.

“We’re gonna talk about where we are with our ability to accept manufacturing and workforce readiness…If you don’t have that foundation, you end up with a lot of voices, but there’s never a consolidated voice that people will look to when they are looking to come here.” – Dr. Richard Ham, (32:58)
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Get Connected!
‍Thanks for tuning in to this episode of The Bentonville Beacon! Join us weekly for more stories from entrepreneurs and business leaders who are making a positive impact on Bentonville’s culture, community, and lifestyle. Don’t forget, Bentonville is a place where you can have more of what you want and less of what you don’t!