visual line of sight (VLOS). You could accomplish so much from an inspection/mapping/search and rescue standpoint if VLOS was loosened. If future drones are built to be more efficient and the potential risk of injury from a crash is lessened, then I can see the FAA giving out more waivers to certified pilots. This would change the game when it comes to expansive capabilities,” said Wilson. He also sees the number of pilots decreasing over the coming years. “I think you’ll see more and more drone pilots being downsized by two things. “First, I think autonomous drones are the future. It might be two to three years from now or it could be 10 years from now. As drone technology evolves, the pilot is going to be minimized to just maintaining flight safety. You can already see it in some of our current ap- plications. When I go to map a construction site, I build a flight path in an application such as DroneDeploy. Once I arrive on scene, I set up the drone, go through my pre-flight checklist and then hit one button. The drone flies the mission without me touching a single control. The key to being successful in the future comes down to experience and knowing how to capture the data using an array of tools. “Secondly, the barrier to entry is low right now to fly legally. To get your drone license, you pay $150 for the test. If you pass, you have to purchase a drone and get basic liability insurance. All in all, that isn’t very much. If and when the FAA starts to enforce illegal drone flying, that will only benefit the people currently in the field doing it the right way. Fines are pretty hefty if you don’t follow the proper rules and laws. When the FAA starts to come down on people flying over 400 feet, or commercial operators posing as hobbyists, then you will see a number of people give up because it’s not worth the risk. A lot of people considering this field decide against it because of the complexities of drone technology, understanding the waiver/authoriza- tion process, the complicity of airspace knowledge, etc. The people who get in early and establish a reputation of operating properly will be standing in a great spot in the future.” It is clear that this is a fast moving industry and I think we can expect future submissions to the EDVY award contest to continue to become more and more impres- sive. Congratulations to Aerial Buzz, ERO Architects, and CCA Techos. Be on the lookout for information on next year's contest.
Aerial Buzz Charlotte, North Carolina Website: www.spiraclebuzz.com Watch the video: csengineermag.com/engineering-drone- video-year-award-goes-spiracle-mediaaerial-buzz/
FINALIST
ERO Architects McAllen, Texas Website: www.goero.com Watch the video: csengineermag.com/2018-engineering- drone-video-year-finalist-ero-architects/
FINALIST
CCA Techos Guadalajara, Mexico Website: www.ccatechos.com/ Watch the video: csengineermag.com/2018-engineering- drone-video-year-finalist-cca-techos/
DONOVAN BRIGHAM is the art director of Civil + Structural Engineer magazine (www.csengineermag.com). He can be contacted at dbrigham@zweiggroup.com.
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may 2018
csengineermag.com
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