The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) this week approved the first commercial flights of fully automated drones, giving a small company the green light to operate drones without direct supervision by human controllers or manned piloting.
The FAA’s ruling calls for drones to operate only in rural areas at heights below 120 meters, although it is still a watershed in the efforts of farmers, miners and others to boost the commercial use of unmanned drones in their work.
The agency said in approval documents posted on its website that expanding the 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 have a reduced environmental impact, as they will involve a small aircraft without passengers or crew, instead of 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, ”said the FAA.
The FAA had previously approved drones to inspect infrastructure such as railroad tracks and pipelines. American Robotics Inc., based in Marlborough, Massachusetts, has won new FAA approval.
Scout drones operated by the company fly on predetermined flight programs and have technology that can be used to avoid birds and other aircraft. The drones weigh less than 20 pounds, according to The Wall Street Journal, which was the first to report FAA approval.
The FAA decision follows four years of testing in eight states and raises the prospect of broader testing for other industries.