Year: 2016
Commercial Drone Markets: 2016 Year in Review
Last year at this time, I reflected back on the news and trends of the commercial drone markets of 2015 and wrote about the mixed state of affairs in the U.S. Back then we saw only 2,500 Section 333 grants for commercial activity, and the press’s narrative that ‘drones are cool’ turned to ‘drones are … Read more
Is Sky-Futures Expanse Drone Inspection Software Good for All?
Sky-Futures cloud-based drone inspection visualization and reporting software squarely targets the asset inspection sector, but will it be broadly adopted? THE FACTS: No one questions whether the founders of Sky-Futures know what they are doing. When it comes to drone inspections they have “been there, done that.” You can read about their history and … Read more
Can AeroVironment Compete in the Commercial Drone Market?
AeroVironment’s new drone and cloud-based analytics platform squarely targets the commercial sector, but are they targeting the wrong vertical, too late in the game? THE FACTS: Earlier this month, the military and tactical unmanned aircraft systems manufacturer AeroVironment (NASDAQ:AVAV) proudly unveiled its new QuantixTM drone and a cloud-based analytics platform called the AeroVironment Decision Support … Read more
DroneDeploy: Enterprise Grade or Not?
DroneDeploy’s new App Market fills a need for commercial drone use, but can the data quality measure up for widespread industrial use? THE FACTS: This past week, DroneDeploy introduced its new App Market, a store for drone applications from a range of companies—including Autodesk, Box, John Deere, and 13 others—as well as a variety of … Read more
Why I Think the Prosumer Drone Will Never Die
Innovations will flourish on drones that target the prosumer market for a long time THE FACTS: In the 1980 book, The Third Wave, futurologist Alvin Toffler coined the term “prosumer” when he predicted that the role of producers and consumers would begin to blur and merge. Today, the term is well accepted as a descriptor … Read more
6 Tips for Avoiding Phony Dronie Consultants and Attorneys
How to steer clear of the wrong hire for your drone business By Jonathan Rupprecht, Esq. for Drone Analyst® It seems everyone is running toward the “drone” rush to make a quick buck. The way I see it is many of the consultants and attorneys assisting businesses with drone work are in reality experimenting on … Read more
5 Tips for Evaluating Online Drone Data Services
Choosing the right service means choosing a trusted business partner THE FACTS: In early 2014, it was easy to see that drones themselves (the aircraft) would quickly become commoditized and their value would come not from what they could do but from the data they collect. In a piece titled “Drones Revolution Means Big Data … Read more
Sense and Avoid for Drones is No Easy Feat
But development is vibrant, and you’ll see it work first in prosumer drones THE FACTS: “Sense and avoid” for drones is a popular topic in the press right now, but the phrase can mean different things in different contexts and for different people. To clarify, there is a difference between solving the problem of “sense” … Read more
Can PrecisionHawk Tame Drone Traffic in the Sky?
PrecisionHawk’s LATAS delivers an innovative air traffic control system for drones, but it’s one of several that depends on the not-so-imminent success of all aircraft using ADS-B. THE FACTS: This past week (August 29, 2016), the FAA granted PrecisionHawk a waiver from Part 107.31’s visual line of sight (VLOS) limitations, which gives them the ability … Read more
Will the U.S.’s New Drone Pilot Certification Accelerate Commercial Growth?
FAA testing and certification for small UAS remote pilot certificates begins in earnest this month, but does that mean the commercial drone industry will see rapid growth? THE FACTS: Beginning August 29, 2016, the new small UAS Rule for commercial drone operations in the U.S. takes effect. One very important change is that operators will … Read more