AUVSI Xponential: All Things Unmanned

In May 2018 the constant thrumming from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAS) filled the Mile High City of Denver, Colorado. Represented at AUVIS were discussion panels, showcases, and every type of unmanned vehicle imaginable from quadcopters to submersibles, and even rovers that sampled mud. The rapid evolution of the UAS industry was on full display. Below are my two key takeaways from the conference:

Insurance

As a hobbyist, professional pilot, or large company, having the appropriate insurance is essential in the UAS industry. Incomplete or the wrong type of insurance has resulted in several court cases, costing drone operators thousands of dollars each year. Speaker after speaker strongly recommended reviewing your insurance policy. Does it cover all your needs? Make sure the insurance will cover all the pilots and crew members. If you operate a flight school, what happens if students strike themselves during take-off or landing? Does your insurance cover that? There are coverage options for direct and indirect property damage, or certified pilot, student or a student in training. Hopefully, an accident will not occur during flight. However, you should be prepared for all legal issues that may arise.

Public Safety, Rules and Regulations

This is, without a doubt, one of the most difficult topics to keep up-to-date with in the world of UAS. Currently, it takes about 2½ years from proposal to rule implementation (this can be shortened to months for in-house proposals). Two notable ongoing debates deal with the issues of FAA regulatory authority and the redefinition of the term ‘hobbyist.’ The FAA has been facing increased scrutiny over how much power it should have. As more UAS vehicles enter the national airspace and companies invest in the idea of flying taxis (that’s right), regulation of airspace would fundamentally change. As for hobby drones, the issue arises as more hobby drones are being used for illicit activities, such as flying into prisons or carrying weapons.

In addition, states are adding their own regulations on top of the federal ones. For example, Hawaii, New Jersey, and New York are states with some of the most drone regulations in the United States. These regulations are written primarily to increase safety, prevent misuse, and help local law enforcement officials. For larger cities, wind patterns around buildings and the air traffic from several airports make UAS flights difficult. The buildings interfere with GPS communications, causing unintentional signal loss. These issues become even more significant with the high population density of these areas, meaning vehicles are almost always flying over people. In the view of many state governments, it is necessary to supplement federal regulations with local ones.

Yes, the tech was indeed cool at the AUVSI conference but two important things stood out:

1. the rules are constantly changing in the world of UAS, and
2. getting the right insurance is paramount.

This resource was created with support from the National Science Foundation under Grant ATE #1700552. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.