CHAPTER 5

The Future of Recreational Drones

Recreational drone use shows no signs of slowing down. The FAA predicts that by 2020 there will be 4.3 million recreational drones in the United States alone. Add to that several million commercial drones and the skies will be crowded. With this increase, new laws are likely to come. These laws can help protect people from injury and help ensure people’s privacy.

In recent years drone manufacturers have partnered to help promote drone use and fair laws for them. In 2016 some leading drone manufacturers formed the Drone Manufacturers Alliance. Members of the group include DJI, 3D Robotics, GoPro, and Parrot. The group wants to promote laws that allow safe use of drones. They also want to promote creative design in drone manufacturing.

CHECKING LOCAL LAWS

Drone owners need to know laws specific to where they are flying. Both national and local laws may change depending on the area. For example, the FAA has stricter guidelines in the Washington, D.C., area for national defense reasons. In 2015 a recreational drone user was flying a drone at night. He lost control of the quadcopter. He knew the drone would soon run out of battery life. He thought it would crash nearby, so he didn’t go to look for it right away. But the next day he learned it had crashed at the White House. Despite his mistake, he was not charged with a crime.

Drone manufacturers will continue to push the limits with new drone technology and capabilities. Object avoidance is one area of drone technology manufacturers are trying to improve. In 2016 two researchers at Stanford University in California made a drone that can dodge the quick jabs of a fencing sword. Improvements in this area can help drones travel more safely. In contrast, the Gimball rescue drone is designed to survive bumping into objects. This rescue drone won the Drones for Good international competition in 2015. Its hardy design would allow it to bounce off of objects while searching for victims in wilderness areas.

A woman displays the Gimball drone at a World Economic Forum meeting in China in 2015.

The use of cutting-edge technology will increase the options from which drone buyers have to choose. These advancements will also help expand the types of jobs drones can do. From inspections in factories to making life-saving deliveries, the possibilities for drones seem endless.

FACT

In 2015 the first International Drone Day events were held. Organizers formed the events to help promote the benefits of drone use.