Drones will soon deliver take-out and prescription drugs as FAA loosens rules amid lockdowns - and experts claims it could help stop the spread of COVID-19 and save lives
Skies across America will soon look very different with drones delivering prescriptions, parcels and takeout to customers in the coming months.
The Federal Aviation Authority has relaxed rules around the flying of the unmanned aerial vehicles, with small drones allowed to fly over people and at night from mid-March onward.
Previously, small drones were only allowed to fly over those who were directly operating them, unless they had received a special exemption from the FAA.
The FAA'S revolutionary new rules were prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to several experts in the industry.
'COVID-19 is accelerating the introduction of this technology across industries,' the CEO of DroneDeploy told Axios prior to the FAA's announcement.
Many say it is safer for drones to deliver goods to people amid the ongoing pandemic because, unlike human couriers, they pose no risk of transmitting the coronavirus.
Barry Alexander, CEO of Aquiline Drones, told Axios that drone delivery could 'save lives, remove humans from harm's way, and even reduce carbon footprints.'
'The drone industry is gaining maturity at a very rapid rate, and I think society — with the right amount of education — will find itself embracing and supporting drone technology,' Alexander stated.
Skies across America will soon look very different with drones delivering prescriptions, parcels and takeout to customers in the coming months
Last month, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced an initiative to 'educate and engage the city's residents around... the introduction of low-noise, electric aircraft flying in our local airspace'.
'L.A. is where we turn today's ideas into tomorrow's reality - a place where a barrier-breaking concept like urban air mobility can truly get off the ground,' Garcetti stated.
The Mayor claimed that drone deliveries could lead to 'cleaner skies, safer transportation, expanded prosperity, and stunning innovation'.
Garcetti's government has enlisted local company Urban Movement Labs to help get citizens used to the idea of drone deliveries.
While the UAV's can start dropping off parcels within months, it is still likely to be several years before dozens of the devices are flying overhead in American cities and towns.
Urban Movement Labs predicts they will be a common sight by 2023.
UPS (pictured), Amazon, Google and Walmart are all known to be working on drone delivery
Last month, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced an initiative to 'educate and engage the city's residents around... the introduction of low-noise, electric aircraft flying in our local airspace'
Last September, Walmart said it would run a pilot project for delivery of grocery and household products through automated drones but acknowledged 'it will be some time before we see millions of packages delivered via drone.'
Under the FAA rules, drones will still be subject to a number of requirements to alleviate citizen's concerns about privacy and safety.
For at-night operations, the FAA orders that drones must be equipped with anti-collision lights.
Remote ID is required for all drones weighing 0.55 lb or more, but is required for smaller drones under certain circumstances like flights over open-air assemblies.
The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International said Remote ID will function as 'a digital license plate for drones ... that will enable more complex operations'.
Drone manufacturers will have 18 months to begin producing drones with Remote ID, and operators will have an additional year to provide Remote ID.
The FAA also requires that small drones not have any exposed rotating parts that would lacerate human skin.
The United States has over 1.7 million drone registrations and 203,000 FAA-certificated remote pilots. That number is expected to surge following the FAA's new rules.
Last September, Walmart said it would run a pilot project for delivery of grocery and household products through automated drones but acknowledged 'it will be some time before we see millions of packages delivered via drone'
Drones will now be able to fly at night and over people, paving the way for deliveries
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