Drone laws

Zipline has developed and patented an AI-driven safety system it says allows autonomous drones to detect and avoid other aircraft and drones up to 2 km away in all directions, using a light, cheap and robust microphone array. Will it satisfy the FAA?

Before letting the unmanned aircraft off the leash, the US is working to make drone rules that keep operators happy and the public safe. The effort just got a nice little nudge along, in the form of a new pilot project designed to overcome some of the challenges posed by low-altitude drone flight. ​

There may indeed be laws limiting the places in which aerial drones can be flown, but if someone sees a drone breaking one of those laws, how do they know who's responsible? DJI has suggested a solution, in the form of what amounts to an "electronic license plate."

​​Kenya has opened up its skies for commercial drone use. Drones stand to have a real impact in the developing world where road infrastructure can make movement of goods difficult, but the technology in Kenya will also touch industries such as film-making, relief and conservation.​

Conscious of a lack of awareness about drone usage rules, an increasing number of drone incidents and in anticipation of many more drones taking to the skies this Christmas, the UK has issued revised guidance for consumer drone users.

New drone rules have cleared the way for photographers, surveyors and realtors to take flight, but unfortunately for Amazon and a number of other players, still leave the notion of drone deliveries off somewhere in the distance.

New research is adding some clarity to the reasons behind the rising number of drone incidents, suggesting that more often than not, technical glitches rather than piloting errors are to blame.

We’re tech optimists here at New Atlas, and that goes for small-scale unpersoned aerial vehicles. But clearly there’s something about their potential for snoopery that disgruntles the house-proud. Judging by the technology on this list someone somewhere thinks there’s an anti-drone buck to be had.

Newly announced drone laws are set to clear the way for business-related drone flight across the US, with the FAA taking its first significant steps towards integrating small unmanned aircraft into US airspace.

Looking to avert gridlock at altitude, NASA has been working on an air traffic management system for drones, and today is carrying out its first coordinated testing to see just how well it can accomodate flights at different locations across the country.

Following the launch of a mandatory drone registry last year, the US government is now exploring new technologies to detect drones flying too close to airports.

To prevent a drone-related disaster, and perhaps an act of goodwill in light of the FAA's tightening rules around unmanned flight, DJI has started rolling out a new geofencing system designed to block its aircraft venturing into restricted airspace. ​​