The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has this week approved the first fully automated commercial drone flights, giving the green light to a small business to operate drones without direct supervision by human controllers or manned pilotage.
The FAA decision requires that drones only operate in rural areas at an altitude of less than 400 feet, although it is still a turning point in the efforts of farmers, miners and others to boost commercial use of drones. unmanned in their work.
The agency said in approval documents posted on its website that the expanded commercial use of automated drones could bring “efficiency to many of the industries that fuel our economy, such as agriculture, mining, transportation. and non-durable manufacturing ”.
“In addition, the operations will achieve a reduction in environmental impact, as they will involve a small aircraft that does not carry passengers or crew, rather than a significantly larger manned aircraft. Given these considerations, the small [unmanned aircraft systems] The UAS operation that the petitioner will conduct under this exemption is in the public interest, ”the FAA said.
The FAA had previously approved drones to inspect infrastructure such as railroad tracks and pipelines. American Robotics Inc., based in Marlborough, Massachusetts, obtained new FAA approval.
Company-run Scout drones fly in default flight programs and have technology they can use to prevent birds and other aircraft. The drones weigh less than 20 pounds, according to the Wall Street Journal, which was the first to report on FAA approval.
The FAA decision follows four years of testing in eight states and raises the prospect of broader testing for other industries.