Real world rules and regs All of this excitement may move at a fast pace , but the future of drones and drone technology is still — pardon the pun — up in the air . The potential may be tremendous , but negative consequences abound if the transition to a new drone world isn ’ t thoughtfully considered . In the United States , the Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ) has been tasked with creating and implementing regulations for drone usage by the end of this year . Many other countries have such legislation already in place , which has left drone enthusiasts frustrated .
“ It ’ s something I lose sleep over , because it ’ s a huge part of what we do and the future of the company ,” says Angelo , who is quick to add how he understands why the FAA needs to get this right . “ Like with any new tech , you can ’ t just introduce something and expect people to regulate it themselves . There ’ s nothing more important than sensible legislation here .”
Jay Guan , ERC ’ 09 , has been one of the people responsible for putting the “ sensible ” into that legislation . After graduating with a degree in aerospace engineering , Guan moved to Washington , D . C ., where he worked for contractors that advise the FAA on systems and solutions regarding drones . “ On the surface , it seems like the FAA is a little squeamish about this ,” says Guan .
“ But from what I ’ ve seen , the FAA doesn ’ t have anything against drones or commercial drones . It ’ s just that safety has always been an overriding concern , and right now there is no good way to ensure that drone operations won ’ t compromise that .”
There ’ s a lot to consider . If drones are allowed in air space that has traditionally been occupied by manned flights , entire systems will have to be rethought . “ What does that mean for air traffic controllers ?” asks Guan . “ What about all of the nation ’ s systems that the controllers are using ? We need to identify and formally articulate these needs into requirements , so we can define systems or change systems as needed .”
Like the technology itself , the legislation has to move quickly . In 2012 , Congress passed the FAA Modernization and Reform Act , which ordered the FAA to create rules and regulations as to how drones will fit into the larger airspace . With the threshold to drone ownership lower than ever before , and no license required to operate one , drones currently have the potential to pose serious threats to commercial jets , private planes , and , especially in crowded urban areas , helicopters . Guan says that the FAA ’ s current operational and safety standards were developed over the course of a century , and the timeline the organization was presented with has put it seriously under the gun . “ Basically ,” says Guan , “ Congress asked the FAA to do a century ’ s worth of work in three years .”
Still , he also thinks once the FAA regulations are in place — proposed new rules were released in February — drones will become even more commonplace than they are now . The fact is , says Guan , “ the world is going ahead with drone use whether we like it or not .” For its part , the FAA says it will integrate drones into the airspace , but it will do so on an incremental basis .
FROM THE JUNGLE TO THE VINEYARDS
In 2014 , Engineers for Exploration took drones to the jungles of Guatemala in order to scout possible locations of previously undiscovered Mayan architecture . The team flew drones from the top of a previously discovered pyramid to create high-resolution images of areas where the jungle canopy is so dense humans can ’ t otherwise access them .
That same year , undergraduate drone pilots accompanied professors Falko Kuester and Tara Hutchinson up to Napa , Calif ., just days after an August 2014 earthquake rocked the area . The team assessed the quake ’ s impact on buildings by using drones to collect data that supercomputers translated into 3-D models — allowing architects and engineers to evaluate the structural damage .
Jay Guan , ’ 09 , has advised the FAA on systems and solutions regarding integrating drones into regulated airspace .
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