The value of drone technology is tied to the future ubiquity of it, as experts have long talked about how the technology needs to be positioned as just another tool to be utilized as needed in order to truly unlock that value. Getting there is a matter of knowing that drones are as safe to use as any of those other tools though, which is why the FAA is focused on being able to quantify that kind of safety. Thankfully, as a recent study conducted by State Farm at one of Virginia Tech’s impact labs shows, there’s hard data to make that safety case.
This study by the Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (MAAP) and State Farm saw the development of unique test methods to assess the risk of a drone impact with a moving vehicle. The data from these tests supported State Farm’s successful application to the FAA for a waiver to a previous provision of 14 CFR Part 107 prohibiting drone flights over moving vehicles. The results of the test are telling on multiple levels. Read More