Confusing state, local regulations threaten drone industry

This spring, Disney received a patent for a “paintcopter,” a drone that can paint buildings and rides. Earlier this year, a drone delivered a kidney for transplant for the first time ever. In March, a pioneering drone program began delivering blood and specimen samples between medical buildings in North Carolina. And in April, California-based Zipline launched drone vaccine delivery in Ghana, reaching 22 million people — the world’s largest vaccine drone-delivery network.

The drone revolution is accelerating. And the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which is holding its fourth annual Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) symposium in Baltimore this week, has taken many steps to keep up. The recent medical drone advancements are promising, but the FAA must also exert its authority to avoid a patchwork of confusing and conflicting local rules and ensure a uniform, innovation-friendly framework. If that happens, these medical advancements will mark just a few indications of what the future could look like with drone technology in the coming years …

https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/op-ed/bs-ed-op-0604-drone-regulations-20190603-story.html

Baltimore Sun | June 3, 2019

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