The holiday season is here again, and many university students will return in January sporting a brand-new drone. Drones have come a long way from the unwieldy radio-controlled (RC) copters of the past. Modern drones can operate across several miles with great precision carrying mounted cameras, microphones, and other sensors. However, federal and state regulators
Drones
Chula Vista Policy to Protect Residents from Certain Surveillance Technology
The City Council of Chula Vista, California (in the San Diego metropolitan area), announced a new policy governing how city law enforcement can use technology to protect residents from data collected by surveillance equipment. The policy was developed by a city task force after the police department began using Automated License Plate Readers in 2020…
More Autonomous Big Rigs Needed on the Road: Why Start There?
Many trucks on the freeway already drive themselves -with an operator on board. These trucks operate smoothly and safely with little to no human intervention. Such vehicles are capable of knowing when to make space and move over when another vehicle is trying to merge and slowing down when they see a vehicle pulled over…
Soaring Eagle Technologies Obtains Nationwide BVLOS Drone Waiver from FAA
This week, Soaring Eagle Technologies, a drone data collection company that provides services for critical infrastructure in the U.S., received one of the first beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) waivers from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to fly unmanned aerial systems (UAS or drones) for commercial inspection missions under operational guidelines as opposed to specific operations in a…
NFL Urges Lawmakers to Address Drone Threats and Nefarious Actors
Cathy Lanier, the Chief Security Officer for the National Football League (NFL), is concerned about unauthorized drones flying above stadiums during games and the potential for accidents or even a mass attack on the crowd below. Last season, the NFL encountered some 1,400 drones over stadiums, even though there were no-fly-zone orders in place.
Pursuant…
AUVSI and DOD’s Defense Innovation Unit Announce Collaboration for Cyber Standards for Drones
The Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), the world’s leading trade association for drones and other autonomous vehicles, announced a collaboration with the Department of Defense’s (DOD) Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to further commercial cyber methodologies to design a shared standard. AUVSI’s effort is meant to expand the number of vetted drones that meet…
Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership to Lead FAA UTM Field Test
The Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (MAAP) was selected to lead one of the teams participating in the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) traffic management (UTM) Field Test. The UTM Field Test is a research project designed to evaluate the technology and standards being developed to help safely coordinate and prioritize drone…
FAA Issues Task Order for UTM Project at Griffiss International Airport
This week, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a task order contract to the New York UAS Test Site for an unmanned aircraft system (UAS or drone) integration project. The project is designed to assist in the development of a UAS traffic management (UTM) system and to promote the safe operation of high-volume drone operations.
Remote ID Ruling For FAA in RaceDayQuads Suit
RaceDayQuads, a racing drone retailer based in Orlando, Florida, and Tyler Brennan, a drone operator (collectively, Petitioners), filed a Petition for Review of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Remote Identification (Remote ID) Rule for drones with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. This week, the Court ruled in favor of the FAA.
New Survey Shows that Americans are Ready for More Deliveries by Drone
Auterion, a drone software company, commissioned a survey from the market research company, Propeller Insights, of 1,022 adults. The survey was gender-balanced and distributed across age groups from 18 to 65+, living in rural, suburban, and city environments in the United States, and was conducted in May 2022.
In the report summarizing the survey, “Consumer…