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The Dayton Daily News has been covering the unfolding Unmanned Aerial Systems industryand will continue to provide in-depth coverage on the important commercial and military issue.
Commercial use of UAS by the numbers
1 to 10 pounds: Weight of device
400 feet: Flight height
10 miles: Flight range
16 to 18 pounds: Payload capacity
Watch a video of an unmanned aircraft system taking off at MyDaytonDailyNews.com/local
Delivering packages to homes by unmanned aircraft systems is not a far-fetched idea and use of the devices could generate millions in Ohio, local experts said.
When Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced this week his billion-dollar company has plans for 30-minute delivery of five-pound or less packages by “octocopters,” it sparked widespread conversation about their commercial use.
But in Ohio, one of 24 states vying to be a testing ground for unmanned aircraft, experts weren’t caught off guard by Bezos’ announcement. The devices have already been flying here in limited use.
“It’s exciting someone of his (Bezos) gravity is discussing and planning for their use. It can only help spark what we have known. The future is limitless,” said Brandon Youngblood, the co-owner of 3D Aerial Solutions, a local consulting firm on the commercial use of UAS.
Youngblood has used his small fixed-wing plane to take video and photos at local excavating sites and gravel pits. Agriculture-related companies are using the technology to give farmers better advice on fertilizer and planting use.
Aerial Imaging Solutions uses its “quadcoptors,” which equal the size of a small suitcase, to deliver photos and videos of luxury homes and estates to real estate agents. City planners also have hired their services to fly over dilapidated neighborhoods in Columbus to help them visualize and understand the community.
“We can provide a low-altitude view of these neighborhoods that would be too dangerous for a large helicopter or plane,” said Victor Brewer, owner of the central Ohio one-year startup.
The UAS industry is estimated to generate $13.6 billion in the first three years and $82.1 billion by 2025 if regulations are changed in the U.S., according to the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International. It’s projected to create more than 100,000 new jobs in the first 10 years.
FAA regulations
Besides bad weather conditions, electric lines, the neighbor’s dog and shotgun shooting property owners, holding back the commercial use of drones are proposed regulations from the Federal Aviation Administration.
The FAA grounded the use of drones for commercial purpose in 2007 in the U.S. The agency, on the demand of Congress, is working on safety, usage and privacy regulations that are supposed to take effect in 2015 and lead to commercial use.
The delay has been a point of contention for the industry.
“It’s stopping the generation of $10 billion a year in revenue,” said Youngblood, who flew Predator drones for the Air Force before joining a contractor at Wright Patterson Air Force Base and starting his own firm.
Ohio has prepared to make the state the flying grounds for UAS and help it gain a large piece of an expected flourishing industry. Ohio and Indiana have applied to the FAA as a combination site for testing. The FAA is expected to choose six states this month where UAS will be tested.
With Wright Patt’s location and the state’s choice to locate the Ohio/Indiana UAS Center and Test Complex in Springfield, this region is prime for innovation in UAS, experts say.
“Commercial use of the devices will not only allow companies to provide services, it will open up a lot of sub components needed for their use,” Youngblood said.
Battery technology has lagged in the past decade, according to Youngblood. The batteries needed to fly the devices more safely and at longer hours will create a new industry, he said. Manufacturing also will play a key part in what Youngblood calls “a new frontier.”
Jon Everman with Farm Service Agency of the Department of Agriculture said the use of the drones will revolutionize farming just as GPS technology has done on tractors and combines.
Experts said it will allow farmers to cut down on pesticide and irrigation use and provide precision farming techniques. This week, Clark State Community College applied for $275,000 from the state to start a training center for UAS in precision agriculture.
The drone industry predicts agriculture and public safety will be the two biggest markets for UAS. Of the $82.1 billion the UAS industry is calculated to generate by 2025, agriculture alone could generate $75.6 billion.
Privacy concerns
Not everyone shares the same enthusiasm for the industry.
This week, Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass. issued a statement urging the FAA to adopt strict privacy regulations.
“Before drones start delivering packages, we need the FAA to deliver privacy protections for the American public,” he said in a statement. “Convenience should never trump constitutional protections.”
Brewer said he understands concerns people have about their privacy and believe regulations should be put in place, but said governments have much better technology to watch people.
“We have satellites in space that can provide much better detail. The U.S. has been using them for 40 years to watch people,” Brewer said.
“I’m more afraid of cell phone technology today.”
How they work
Brewer said he and his partner sent an email to Amazon’s CEO after watching his interview with “60 Minutes” this week telling him there was a flaw in his frame design.
“We’ve flown these for many hours, practicing and preparing,” said Brewer, who has liability insurance on his miniature, multi-rotor helicopters that cost between $15,000 to $30,000.
The nearly eight-pound devices are flown below 400 feet and can carry a payload up to 16 to 18 pounds, Brewer said. The helicopters, used to also take photos of construction sites, can fly up to a half hour and at a range of 10 miles.
“We are much more affordable than a large airplane or helicopter and safer in tight quarters,” Brewer said. His company has provided aerial views for people looking to buy $1 million and $2 million homes.
“When you’re buying something like that, you want to know everything about it.”
Youngblood’s UAS weighs 1.5 pounds and he said if it fell and it would hit a person with less force than getting hit by a soccer ball. His device can stay up 45 minutes running on 3-cell lithium batteries.
His company has provided a high-profile inventory count for Enon Sand & Gravel in two hours using the plane. The same inventory would normally take two days for a company to perform.
Andrew Shepherd, UAS program director at Sinclair University, said the region is well-positioned to take advantage of the commercial use of drones. Sinclair offers student training and company workforce development in unmanned aircraft systems.
Andrew McGinn contributed to this story.
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