These last eighteen months has seen the small drone industry boom in a way few could have imagined, save perhaps those companies heavily invested in drones, their technology and their practical uses. However, with the dramatic increase in small drone popularity there logically comes a more urgent demand and need for drone regulation. This comes not only in light of the increasing numbers of ‘near misses’ between hobby-flown drones and commercial aircraft, but also the commercial side of the business where a wide variety of uses for drones, UAVs or quadcopters as they are also referred to, is currently being trialled. This includes the likes of Amazon and DHL looking to provide drone package delivery services, through to drone use in disaster situations, for medical emergencies and/or for security purposes. The good news for many, but not all, is that the Federal Aviation Authority in the USA has now brought into enforcement a series of regulations, effective 21 December, 2015 governing the use of small drones weighing between 0.55lbs and 55lbs.

These aircraft now have to be registered, along with registration of the owner, which has to be seen as a positive step where regulation is concerned, even if many feel this is taking the ‘fun’ out of the hobby side of the equation. Seeing the need for regulation, back in 2014 the Small UAV Coalition was formed so that those directly involved in the drone industry, whether user or manufacturer, could have a voice. The Small UAV Coalition comprised the likes of Amazon Prime Air, AirMap, Intel, Google X, DJI and 3DR, and the coalition gave them power where lobbying for regulation was concerned, or as they put it, for “policies that promote innovation and safety, and create a practical and responsible regulatory framework.” black ops 2 drone spotsHowever, you can probably see that interests were not mutual, as one element was more involved with the manufacturing side of drones, while the other was more concerned with their practical and functional use.ar drone in dubai

News this month that a splinter group has been formed should consequently come as no surprise. DJI and 3DR have been joined by Parrot and GoPro in the formation of the Drone Manufacturers Alliance. In a statement made by them, “There are significant economic and social benefits to drone operations in the U.S., and industry must work with policymakers to ensure a safe environment for flying. The Drone Manufacturers Alliance believes a carefully balanced regulatory framework requires input from all stakeholders and must recognize the value and necessity of continued technological innovation. ar drone 2 instructionsBy highlighting innovation and emphasizing education, we intend to work with policymakers to ensure drones continue to be safely integrated into the national airspace.”parrot ar drone msrp The principal reason for the split has been the dichotomy created between those companies exploring commercial openings for drone use, and the consumer, who also happens to represent a massive section in the drone industry. the pocket drone kickstarter

In 2015 alone DJI forecast it would sell over $1bn worth of drones, and DJI are specialists in the manufacturing of small hobby drones as well as larger commercial models for tasks such as crop spraying, etc. Clearly drones are big business and drones are here to stay and will become very much a part of our daily lives. It is no longer a case of if, but when. we believe that this is just the tip of the iceberg. The media is saturated with articles about hobby drones and regulations surrounding the use of hobby drones, but the commercial uses seem to be waiting in the wings while the relevant technology gathers momentum. parrot drone 2 max altitudeOne tends to forget that legislation regarding the use of drones for commercial purposes has been implemented since 2008 and currently what is known as a 333 exemption is required.  black ops 2 drone mission

This basically means that anyone operating a drone for commercial purposes has to obtain a pilot’s license. In our opinion, one of the major problems with drone regulation is that there are so many elements to drones – from size and type, speed through to flight time, distances that can be covered, not forgetting the rights to privacy that are bound to become a hot topic of debate among non-drone enthusiasts. But as the uses for drones expands, the original legislation becomes more and more out of date, and almost irrelevant. Obtaining a pilot’s license to fly a drone is like getting a driver’s license for driving a car, but being able to drive a bus or truck as well. Nowhere is there any skills test for flying a drone and trust us, there needs to be where commercial operation is concerned. You can also get a pilot’s license just by flying a balloon! So will the Small UAV Coalition be able to live in harmony with the newly formed Drone Manufacturers Alliance when their interests could not be further apart, or will the demands for legislation to benefit each side of the industry lead to a half-hearted solution that appeases neither side?

Only time will tell, but we would be interested to know your thoughts on this topic.13 Incredible Aerial Photography Masterpieces Shot With Drones Photographers have been recently quite happy  because the advent and popularization of drones, which can take ingenious pictures scenes from the air, get a whole new angle of looking at the world and the ability to make more beautiful photos. Thus enthusiasts on the website Dronestagram decided to make a little competition with each other and choose some of the best and most beautiful shots in 2015.More... These are the 10 Best Drone Videos of 2016 Wealth Discrepancy Photographed by Drone When not thinkering around drones, you’ll find me researching latest technology insights from UAV industry. Entertainment, camera, moon-shot and military drones are all becomming more distinct as the drone industry gets commoditized. Prices are dropping even as impressive new features are added. It's a difficult time for drone makers.

UPDATED 1/13/2017: SF District Attorney files false advertising suit against Lily Robotics. UPDATED 1/17/2017: CyPhy Works LVL 1 drone was successfully crowdfunded and then one year later refunded. The commercial drones market consists of consumer products like toys, games and camera drones for photography and action selfies, and the professional market (called the pro-sumer market) which serves the construction, surveying, mapping, utilities, telecom, ag, public safety and insurance industries where the drone is matched with speciality software to provide package solutions unique to those industry groups. Many feel that a saturation point has been reached in the consumer marketplace and that after reaching that point it then becomes a race to the bottom in terms of price and profitability, hence the shift to the pro-sumer market by almost all drone makers. Parrot SA is a French wireless products manufacturer based in Paris, France. Parrot invented and manufactured the AR.

Drone and initiated a drone division which now represents 1/3 of their business. Parrot just released its Q4 2016 report which showed a 15% drop in revenue. The company had revenues of €85 million but targeted €100 million. Revenue from drones was €60 million, with €11 million coming from commercial, and €49 million from consumer drones. As a result, Parrot announced plans to reduce its drone workforce by 35%, laying off around 290 people. Parrot plans to focus on a reduced number of consumer products, redeploy product offerings, realign resources and adjust its support teams. Conversely, Parrot will continue to invest in its commercial drone business which has been doing well and is steadily growing. 3D Robotics and their Solo quadcopter were media hits until their product stumbled and their ambitious inventories didn't move. Like Parrot, 3DR laid off hundreds last year, had to shut down facilities, and has since been scrambling to keep afloat by refocusing on commercial operations in the pro-sumer marketplace.

Lily, a Silicon Valley startup with a stylish camera drone and presentation, announced that although it had $34 million in pre-sales, it couldn't get additional funds to meet production demands and was closing down. What remains of the company is focused on handling refunds. "After so much hard work, we are sad to see this adventure come to an end," founders Balaresque and Bradlow wrote on the Lily website. "We are very sorry and disappointed that we will not be able to deliver your flying camera, and are incredibly grateful for your support as a pre-order customer." In a late development which portends difficulty for other over-exuberant marketing types, the San Francisco district attorney’s office filed suit against Lily Robotics over claims that the drone maker engaged in false advertising and unfair business practices. Lily said it would begin shipping drones to customers who had placed orders by February 2016, but failed to live up to that promise. The office alleged that Lily lured customers with a promotional video that was actually filmed by a “much more expensive, professional camera drone that required two people to operate.”

“It does not matter if a company is established or if it is a startup,” District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement announcing the lawsuit. “Everyone in the market must follow the rules. By protecting consumers, we protect confidence in our system of commerce.” In May, 2015, CyPhy Works successfully crowdfunded $882,000 for their LVL 1 drone, a 6-bladed self-leveling device which was to sell at $495 and begin deliveries in February, 2016. In April, 2016 they cancelled the project and refunded all the Kickstarter funding claiming that delays in a key processor chip wouldn't be available until mid-2017 consequently they didn't want to delay the project until then and would instead refund all Kickstarter funders and pre-orders. Alphabet (Google) has closed down the Titan Project to fly high-altitude drones that would beam wireless Internet access back down to the earth. More than 50 project members were let go - some have moved to other Google X projects. Titan Aerospace was acquired by Google in 2014 and was reformed into the Titan Project which competed with another Google X project, Project Loon, which also has problems.

Loon is temporarily mired in an IP infringement suit with Space Data. Although GoPro had a big presence at CES, their Karma drone wasn't there and the sales people said that they hope it will be re-released in a few months. Karma was high-profile, long-anticipated, and late. The Karma was supposed to be the company's hope to pull up diminishing revenues. Karma had mid-flight power failures and GoPro recalled all the devices shipped and offered refunds. GoPro cut its staff by about 200 people in November. Karma's relaunch, if it happens, will need to compensate for product and price improvements offered by DJI that outperform and underprice the Karma in all but camera lenses. DJI is the elephant in the room. Their products have outperformed, outpriced and been faster to market than all their competitors. Their marketing has emphasized integration with pro-sumer software, GoPro cameras and mounts, and other accessories. They keep on inventing and they are headquartered in Shenzhen where all their suppliers reside, hence their ability to be quick to market.

“What we realized is that it’s inherently much more difficult for a Silicon Valley-based, software-focused company to compete against a vertically integrated powerhouse manufacturing company in China,” said Colin Guinn, 3D Robotics' former chief revenue officer. Founded in 2006 as a company that built flight controllers for remote control toy helicopters, DJI unveiled the Phantom in 2012, an off-the-shelf drone that became the standard for consumer drones. DJI seems to have a rhythm to their products: launch, then 6-10 months later lower prices, then launch a newer upgraded product at a price point halfway between the previous product and the discounted price, then repeat the process. Even DJI has recently begun to feel the heat from fellow Chinese drone makers Xiaomi and Yuneec both of which undercut DJI with similar products at lower prices. Hence DJI's stressing their collaboration with and integration of software and accessory vendors focusing on the pro-sumer marketplace.

In the defense sector the Predator, Reaper, and Global Hawk drones that have done their work in two wars have become popularized by movies that exposed their expense, their vulnerabilities, and their Las Vegas-based human pilots and sensor operators controlling them remotely. Now DARPA and the DoD are introducing new robot war machines. Their latest is drone swarms, where several small flying robots work together to do jobs previously done by the larger craft. An anti-air missile can shoot down an $18 million Reaper, but firing that same anti-air missile at a swarm of drones wouldn't work. With every Predator, there’s a joystick and flight controls for a human pilot who maneuvers it. That format changes entirely with a group of autonomous swarming drones. “They are a collective organism, sharing one distributed brain for decision-making and adapting to each other like swarms in nature,” according to Strategic Capabilities Office Director William Roper. Unlike the Predator, where the machine responds to the pilot’s joystick, this swarm receives objectives from a human controller, and then directs itself to that location.