FAA Approves First Fully Automated Commercial Drone Flight

The Federal Aviation Administration has approved the nation’s first fully automated commercial drone flights.

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In documents posted on the FAA website, Massachusetts-based American Robotics Inc. on Jan. 14 was granted a partial exemption allowing unmanned aircraft to fly beyond the line of sight of a remote pilot.

Signed by Deputy Executive Director of Flight Standards, Robert C. Carty, the grant enables American Robotics to operate its unmanned Scout quadcopter with a maximum take-off weight of 20 pounds, in rural areas for research, development and training.

According to the grant, the American Robotics operation would only take place during the day in unregulated low-altitude areas with light air traffic and would be limited to 400 feet above the ground.

In addition, any individual theft would take place within the boundaries of American Robotics customers’ “controlled access farmland” or similar rural environments that meet the same criteria.

“We perform extensive safety assessments before issuing unmanned aircraft operating approvals,” the FAA wrote to Fox Business on Saturday.

The agency also underscored public interest in the matter, writing that regulators would learn more about automated operations by allowing American Robotics to continue its efforts.

“When adopted on a larger scale, such a program could bring efficiency gains to many industries that power our economy such as agriculture, transportation, mining, technology and unsustainable manufacturing,” added the agency. “In addition, the operations will reduce the environmental impact, as they will involve a small plane carrying no passengers or crew, rather than a much larger manned plane.”

In order to meet the standards, American Robotics tested fully automated drones for four years in eight states, according to initial reports from the Wall Street Journal.

Marlborough’s Company Scout drones operate on predetermined schedules and weigh less than 20 pounds. They also have built-in acoustic technology to avoid birds and other aircraft, and protective devices to prevent malfunctions.

“With these approvals, American Robotics ushers in a new era of widespread automated drone operations,” American Robotics co-founder and CEO Reese Mozer said in a press release.

“Decades of promises and projections are finally coming to fruition” and will help unlock the $ 100 billion commercial drone market.

Previously, the FAA allowed drones to inspect railroad tracks, industrial sites and pipelines, as long as pilots or observers were in sight.

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In December, the FAA said it would issue a long-awaited rule to allow small drones to fly over people and at night, as well as to require remote identification for most drones.

“The new rules pave the way for further integration of drones into our airspace by addressing safety and security concerns,” FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said in a statement. “They bring us closer to the day when we will see drone operations such as parcel delivery more regularly.”