A Year of Progress for the Commercial Drone Industry

The past year has been a fruitful one for commercial drone use, as public acceptance grows and the boundaries continue to be pushed in what this disruptive technology can do.

Some twelve months ago there was a far greater concern from the general public regarding the risk to both safety and privacy that UAVs could potentially introduce, but a corner has been turned, and it has become much more expected that drones will be used in a number of different ways.

“Public perception seems to be coming on leaps and bounds, and people are now much more comfortable having drones in their lives,” James Brayshaw, Sales Director for Consortiq, says.

There is a more balanced perception of drones now, he adds, which previously was subject to a lot of negative coverage due to irresponsible use by untrained operators that did not understand the regulations surrounding the use of these systems.

There is also a noticeable momentum from larger enterprises that are seeing the benefit of using drones to bolster their varying businesses, although there is still some work to be done in promoting the safety of such systems, particularly in large enterprises that are risk-averse with regards to compromising their commercial interests.

An appetite for drone use is very much evident within many industry types, but there needs to be more work done to promote the benefits of safe UAV use, in order to quash any concerns and shift attitudes towards the promising effects of their use.

One booming area for drones is for public safety use, for example by law enforcement and search and rescue agencies that are being authorised to operate drones in riskier situations.

“As a consequence of this increased acceptance, there is more expansion into different areas, particularly ones that help increase the levels of public safety,” Brayshaw adds. “Where drones can help increase the safety of the public, the potential qualms that some may have with the use of these aircraft are overridden for the sake of the benefits.”

One example of this is the UK Civil Aviation Authority passing a regulation this year authorising blue light services to carry out beyond visual line of sight operations in necessary circumstances. Consortiq was proud to be part of this progressive change in operational regulations when it began training the Police Service of Northern Ireland in BVLOS flying.

There is a requirement for more BVLOS authorisations to be granted by aviation authorities worldwide, as well as permissions to fly over more populated areas, and one way in which industry is encouraging this is by carrying out its own studies and research into how unmanned systems can be utilised further.

“We’re starting to really see the boundaries of these regulations pushed, and through proof of concept studies, the safety of these systems while operating in more risky situations is being demonstrated,” Brayshaw notes.

“Over 2018 I think testing the limits of these regulations will continue to expand, and stakeholders will prove their safety cases to show what this technology can do within the parameters of safety that everybody wants to ensure are maintained.”

This is a work in progress, he says, but slowly these stakeholders are working to show what drones can safely do.

Drone training, consultancy and software provider Consortiq has also had a successful 2017 in other ways, as it has witnessed a growth on the international stage – specifically in the booming US market – and its credibility is on the rise as it seeks larger enterprises with which to work.