Drones face new battlefields: public perception, regulation

By | January 9, 2015

Scalper1 News

LAS VEGAS — Small unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, could become a major industry. But they face two serious obstacles to growth: government regulation and public perception, industry experts said this week at the International CES. The development of drones for consumer and commercial uses has occurred faster than governments can make policy, said Chris Anderson, CEO of drone maker 3D Robotics. “These drones have gone from military industrial to the shelf of Wal-Mart in about three years,” Anderson said. Regulators are way behind as many consumers are now buying drones to take dramatic overhead photos and videos with built-in cameras or ones from GoPro (GPRO), he said. “The genie is out of the bottle,” Anderson said. “I think it’s very likely that many regulators will throw up their hands and say, ‘As long as they’re small and light, whatever.'” The Federal Aviation Administration is drafting regulations for… Scalper1 News

Scalper1 News