The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved the first fully automated commercial drone flights this week, giving a small company the green light to operate drones without direct supervision by human controllers or manned pilots.
The FAA decision mandates that the drones operate only in rural areas at altitudes of less than 120 meters, although it is still a turning point in the efforts of farmers, miners and others to push for more commercial activity in their work use of unmanned drones.
The agency said in approval documents on its website that extensive commercial use of automated drones could “bring efficiency to many of the industries that feed our economy, such as agriculture, mining, transportation and unsustainable manufacturing.”
“In addition, the operations will reduce the impact on the environment as it will involve a small aircraft with no passengers or crew, rather than a manned aircraft of significantly larger size. Given these considerations, the small [unmanned aircraft systems] UAS operation that the petitioner will perform under this exemption is in the public interest, ”said the FAA.
The FAA had previously approved drones to inspect infrastructure such as rail lines and pipelines. American Robotics Inc., based in Marlborough, Massachusetts, won new FAA approval.
The Scout drones operated by the company fly on predetermined flight programs and have technology they can use to avoid birds and other planes. The drones weigh less than 20 pounds, according to The Wall Street Journal, which was the first to report on the FAA’s approval.
The FAA’s decision follows four years of testing in eight states and offers the prospect of broader testing for other industries.