Expanding the Vision of Rescuers

“Finding a way that I could use my disability to help others has always been a dream of mine.”

For Benjamin Randall (pictured), that dream is taking shape at Embry-Riddle, where he is turning his visual disability into a design advantage. A junior pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Uncrewed and Autonomous Systems through the Worldwide Campus, Randall is using his experience of limited sight to imagine technologies that can see—and save—more clearly than ever before.

Supported by the Donna L. Roberts and Sergio Del Bianco Term Scholarship, he developed the concept for a first-person-view (FPV) UAV system tailored for search-and-rescue operations. His goal was to design drones that navigate difficult terrain and help locate those in danger, using visual perspectives and feedback systems shaped by his own lived experience.

“Attending Embry-Riddle has been an incredible experience and one that would not be possible without financial help from scholarships,” he wrote in thanks. “I am grateful for your belief in my abilities and investment in my future.”

He is continuing his research as a master’s student in the Small Uncrewed Systems program.

Randall is part of a new generation redefining what it means to be a pilot and an innovator. His vision aligns with aviation’s oldest ethos—using flight to serve others—while expanding it into new, uncrewed dimensions.

By transforming limitation into insight, Randall joins a lineage of aviators who have advanced flight by refusing to accept its boundaries. His work—and the generosity that fuels it—show how the human spirit continues to be the most powerful form of propulsion.