Drones are more than meets the spy
The following is from Upstate Interactive’s, Zoe Koulouris.
Upstate, NY is on the map as a leader for drone research and development, rapidly becoming a drone economy. There has been a lot of buzz about this over the last several years due to all the state funding New York has been receiving since 2012. I must confess that I was distressed at the thought of my hometown turning into a breeding ground for remote control murder weapons and spies.
WHY MY PERCEPTION CHANGED
My perception, however, shifted recently thanks to the accelerated growth and technological advancement of the industry. Drones are (literally) the shiny new toy within the tech industry, transcending from military and government use, now hovering over the arts and expanding into areas I never would’ve imagined. Have you heard about how Facebook has engineered solar-powered drones to beam Internet connectivity from the sky? Their goal is to provide Internet services to regions of the world that have never been connected. This could result in a very economical shift in Internet infrastructure. Drones can also be used to improve efficiency and safety of asset inspection, inventory management and packaging delivery. The sky is the limit with how they change the way we conduct business across many industries.
WHY UPSTATE NY IS WELL POSITIONED
Drones are becoming cheaper and easier to use, but demand is growing faster than the industry can adjust. There is a lot of work to be done to improve how they are regulated, particularly for business ventures looking to profit from their services. Since 2012, Upstate, NY has received a significant amount of funding for research and development to provide opportunities for businesses within the unmanned system space to flourish locally.
The reason that Upstate, NY is poised to be a leader in this space is due to the convergence of mature companies, public funding and innovation, creating an unmanned ecosystem unlike anywhere else in the country.
- Mature companies: Upstate, NY is home to industry leaders like Saab-Sensis, Navaid Technical Services, Moog Systems and Agile Technology Solutions, Lockeed Martin, Gryphon Sensors and SRC.
- Funding: Public funding from the NYS Upstate Revitalization Initiative will dedicate $250M out of $500M to unmanned systems. Empire State Development committed more than $2M towards GENIUS NY startup accelerator
- Innovation: Startup accelerators and incubators like GENIUS NY bring talent into our area and provide them with the resources and support they need to grow in the long term.
POTENTIAL EFFECT ON OTHER INDUSTRIES
Jon Perry, the Director of GENIUS NY states:
“Autonomous drones can reduce costs, increase efficiency, and provide a new level of accuracy for a wide array of industry applications. As demand for drone services grow exponentially, they also require regulation to operate safely and securely. Central New York is working with industry leaders and technology entrepreneurs to develop these systems and promote a thriving economy that will create jobs and build new industries for future growth.”
And in case you’re wondering how they will create jobs rather than replace jobs, Jon states:
“Drones can reduce or completely remove safety issues and equipment costs by keeping human operators on the ground and allowing drones to inspect assets (e.g.: bridges, roads, power lines, cell towers, roofs). The drone does not necessarily remove the human job but changes the function from the inspector to the drone operator. ”
Jon also pointed out that the growth of the drone industry can generate jobs in software engineering, data analysis, operator training, and service and repair.
I am really excited to be working in the Tech Garden while this competition is going on. Upstate Interactive has had an opportunity to work with some of the entrepreneurs in the competition. I’ve enjoyed learning about their technologies first hand.
AGRICULTURE
Another really cool way that drones are being used locally is in agriculture. Kate Brodock, the cofounder and president of Women 2.0, shared how her and her husband Chad Meigs have been testing the use of drones on their hops farms. Kate and Chad bought a drone this past winter to do high-level monitoring of their crops at The Bineyard, which produces high-quality crops for commercial brewers and homebrewers.
“The intended usefulness is mainly focused around efficiency in being able to view crop status, health, be able to do high-level (literally) scans for things like disease, field irrigation effectiveness, etc. We have multiple fields, so the ability to quickly go up and down the rows and do fast scans is a time saver during a quick check in.” — Kate Brodock
PERFORMANCE ART
Did you know that drones can dance too? Learning about the use of drones in performance art was one of the most significant factors in changing my perception. I really enjoy art and learning about different mediums. I love the way drones can physically interact with our shared environment in ways we haven’t seen before, while at the same time being controlled and choreographed by our own imagination. One of my favorites is SPARKED by Cirque de Soleil, which shows a live interaction between humans and quadcopters.
“A sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic” — Arthur C. Clarke
The behind the scenes video reveals how drones remove the barrier between art and the audience. Characters, lights and cameras can all be controlled and choreographed by drones in a way that seems magical to the viewer.
You’ve probably also seen Lady Gaga’s use of them at the 2017 Superbowl half time show or the recent Disney attraction.
IMPROVING PROHIBITIVE REGULATION FOR COMMERCIAL USE
Drones also can capture very high-quality photography and video. Aerial photography is extremely useful for filmmakers and television producers, especially now that drones are available at a lower price point. I spoke with Mark Martino, a local television producer/filmmaker, about his experience trying to start an aerial photography company a couple years ago. Mark was immediately hooked by the high-quality footage and incredible stabilization that drones can capture, all controlled by a user-friendly app.
Unfortunately, Mark was an early adopter who struggled to get his business off the ground due to time consuming and expensive changes in FAA regulations, particularly around charging for aerial footage.
- When he first started out, it was illegal to collect a fee for aerial photography.
- When it became legal, he was required to file for a waiver to operate as a company, but the drone still had to be operated by a licensed pilot.
- Finally, the FAA came out with a new regulation that still stands: in order to operate and charge for aerial footage, you are required to take an intensive aeronautical exam and renew your certification annually.
This may seem fair if the requirement for recreational use of drones wasn’t as simple and easy as registering through the FAA website. So, if you want to just fly a drone for fun you can register it online, but if you want to charge for your services, you have to have an aeronautical certification.
Mark never got his photography business off the ground because of the long, drawn-out regulatory process. Producers could be using aerial footage to tell their stories in new and creative ways, but Mark feels that business growth in the field is stunted.
As funding is injected into Upstate, NY for research and development, hopefully there will be improvements to this process for small businesses, and entrepreneurs like Mark who are hungry to innovate within their field.
CONCLUSION
The more I’ve learned about the growth and change in this industry, the more I realize how significant it is that Central NY is going to be the capitol for unmanned aerial and ground systems. I’m excited to be working with companies from the GENIUS NY program and to continue learning about advancements in the field. I’ve gone from concerned about the level of investment put into the region to develop an unmanned ecosystem to hopeful that it will improve our economy long-term.
