FAA drone research awards

Photo by Kari Greer, Original public domain image

$2.7 million has been granted to 5 universities in FAA drone research awards, which will support work on leveraging drone technology for disaster preparedness and emergency response.

For years now, drones have proven to be invaluable in search and rescue, firefighting, mapping of flood areas, and other disaster response efforts.  Now, the FAA is supporting research insitutions as they study how best to deploy and coordinate drone use in emergencies.

“Every second counts in an emergency, and this funding will allow drones to safely and more quickly deploy in moments when minutes matter,” said Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen.

The research will explore the use of drones in providing effective and efficient responses to different natural and human-made disasters. It will address coordination procedures among drone operators from federal agencies as well as state and local disaster preparedness and emergency response…

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Source: dronelife.com