Ohio transportation bill adds UAV provision
Buried in the 600-page transportation budget Ohio Gov. John Kasich signed into law Monday were provisions which may advance state efforts to develop a local test site for unmanned air systems.
The extensive provisions of Ohio House Bill 51 lay out the transportation budget for next year. Among them are several amendments which will allow the Ohio Department of Transportation authority to conduct testing of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS).
In addition to allowing ODOT to use UAVs for research, the bill allows it to partner with other in-state agencies and share information. It also allows ODOT to partner with agencies in Indiana.
