Drones are everywhere — in the news and soon to be (legally) in the skies. They are quickly moving beyond their controversial military use and taking on the role of force multiplier in a myriad of industries including agriculture, inspection services, humanitarian, conservation, and emergency services.
It used to be that tactical use meant rudimentary FMV capabilities. Simply watching the live feed from a SUAS doesn’t fit the mission requirement any more. Analysts are under pressure to deliver richer intelligence from challenging tactical environments, and to do that, they need higher-tech tools.
Everyone takes pictures and video with their devices. Parents record their kids’ soccer games, companies record employee training, police surveillance cameras at busy intersections run 24/7, and drones monitor pipelines in the desert.
Last month the Federal Aviation Administration made a decision that marks a significant step for the commercial drone industry, permitting six movie and television production companies the right to use drones. This is the first time the FAA has allowed this type of industry exemption from the rules that prohibit drones from flying in U.S. airspace.
Years of video are recorded and uploaded to the cloud each day to sites like YouTube, Vine, and Facebook from devices like mobile phones, personal drones, or home surveillance cameras.
