The Future Drones

Expert predictions as UAS technology accelerates

In less than five years, drones have evolved from novelty aircraft to valuable tool in industries that range from film making to agriculture. Drones, also known as “unmanned aerial systems” (UAS), are being integrated into U.S. airspace, and the sky literally seems to be the limit for drone applications. What does the future hold for this rapidly advancing technology? We asked a few experts where they see advances in drone use and capability going in the next decade, and here are their predictions.

Work Efficiencies

Ben Marcus, chairman and cofounder, AirMap

Increasingly, drones are emerging as powerful tools in improving the efficiency and performance of existing work and processes. In particular, drone adoption is seeing tremendous growth among enterprises, utilities, and public-safety agencies for jobs like inventory tracking in manufacturing environments, inspection of power lines and wind turbines, and post disaster recovery relief following a natural disaster. The data generated by drones can be infused with intelligence to augment the value that companies and governments deliver to customers and communities.

Critical to the success of drones in these use cases is the need to ensure safety and compliance with regulations in every country in which enterprises, utilities, and public-safety agencies operate. This includes the ability to manage flight plans, monitor flight conformance, request authorizations, and provide proof of compliance to authorities. UTM [unmanned traffc management] meets these needs by connecting commercial drone operators with authorities for compliance assurance and solutions providers for value-added services like data analytics software.