[Page 2] UAV roundup October 2016: The latest in unmanned aerial vehicle news
Editor's note: This article is continued from page one.
White House holds Drone Day Workshop
White House Office of Science, Technology, and Policy (OSTP) held a drone workshop in conjunction with the AUVSI Foundation in August, which featured multiple announcements by speakers that aim to push the UAS industry even further.
During the event, the OSTP announced that the Obama administration pledged to invest $35 million in new research funding on UAS through the National Science Foundation over the next five years. Research areas, according to the AUVSI, will include infrastructure monitoring, disaster response, agriculture, and severe storm studies.
FAA administrated Michael Huerta commented:
"UAS are transforming entire industries," he said. "They are improving the safety of our transportation infrastructure. … They are tackling jobs that are dangerous for other people or aircraft to do."
He added that just last week, two people died in crop duster accidents, "exactly the type of job that unmanned aircraft can do."
UAS to deliver medical supplies to certain US states
The White House announced that a number of private firms will work with a federally-backed program to deliver medical supplies via drone (pictured) in Maryland, Nevada, and Washington.
Led by Zipline International, the project has support from Ellumen, ASD Healthcare and a nonprofit called BloodworksNorthwest. The initiative seeks to provide aid to remote and hard-to-reach areas, as well as Native American reservations and their surrounding communities.
Brian Wynne named to RTCA Drone Advisory Committee
AUVSI President and CEO Brian Wynne has been selected to the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) Drone Advisory Committee (DAC), recently announced by the FAA.
Said Wynne: "On behalf of AUVSI, I’m proud to join the RTCA’s Drone Advisory Committee alongside the foremost leaders and thinkers in the unmanned aircraft systems industry. We look forward to working with the members of the DAC to facilitate and shape the integration of UAS into the national airspace system and take full advantage of the vast societal and economic benefits of this technology."
CNN to utilize UAS for CNN Air initiative
CNN has launched CNN Aerial Imagery and Reporting, or CNN AIR, which will use unmanned aircraft systems controlled by two operators to cover news and events for CNN, Turner Broadcasting, and Time Warner.
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James Carroll
Former VSD Editor James Carroll joined the team 2013. Carroll covered machine vision and imaging from numerous angles, including application stories, industry news, market updates, and new products. In addition to writing and editing articles, Carroll managed the Innovators Awards program and webcasts.