Hey guys,
I wrote a report on UAVs for the construction industry and I am curious to hear your feedback. Currently, UAVs are on the cusp of taking off (pun intended) in the industry as they can be utilized in numerous ways on job sites. I will post the link below and please feel free to click through to see a copy of the report. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Thanks!
http://www.builtworlds.com/research/reports/uavs-science-fiction-or-reality
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I feel like the need to hire a third party, just to operate an inexpensive, easy-to-use piece of equipment, only to meet a government regulation is currently preventing this from taking off.
On another note, one could make the case that a construction site should be given different consideration than general civilian use by regulators. Construction sites are generally hazardous already, and as such, safety processes and protections are already in place. For example, everyone on all of our jobsites is wearing hardhat and eye protection 100% of the time. A 2 pound drone in a low-density area like this where everyone is already wearing protection is a small risk.
Scott,
Thank you for your input! It is great to hear positive feedback from a CTO in the industry. I agree that the FAA regulations can be a tough barrier to overcome, especially for mid-sized contractors (I actually spoke to one firm that had to stop their UAV operations because they realized they were not in compliance!).
In the past 6 months, the FAA has been loosening the restrictions on the 333 exemptions with the "summary grant process," skyrocketing number of approved petitions to over 2000. However, given the huge demand, they still have a long way to go. Hopefully, sometime next year the FAA will release the much anticipated comprehensive regulatory regime, known as the UAS NPRM, for small UAS use (under 55 pounds), which ideally would allow for visual line of sight operations. In the meantime, it may make more sense for GCs and other commercial users to hire a drone service provider or contractor as it saves upfront costs and the hassle of receiving FAA approval. What do you think?
Also, thank you for the heads up about the AGC IT Forum. I will definitely look into that. It might be a great event for our entire BuiltWorlds team.
Well done Eliot. I know there's a lot more undocumented use going on in construction than people are willing to talk about publicly. Construction folks are generally very risk and liability adverse when it comes to things like this.
I think there's a population of entrepreneurs who are trying to build a business model around the current FAA regulations, but I don't see it really taking off until an 'average' contractor can realistically deploy a UAV for as-needed use at a site without engaging someone with a 333 exemption. Just my 2 cents ;) I'm the CTO at a mid-size GC in the midwest, and a drone hobbyist for the last 3-4 years.
Since you're based in Chicago, consider checking out the AGC IT Forum meeting in July. This is becoming a hot topic in the last few years. http://meetings.agc.org/sponsors/upcoming-events/
Scott
Thanks Eliot, confimed you can get through checkout without a cc number.
Mario, I don't think it would be appropriate to repost it here since it's certainly copyrighted but available free.
I work in commercial construction and have been watching the perception of UAVs as a "solution without a problem" for a while. Of course that's how most technology starts out in construction.. .
Scott,
Can you post the article here if you do see it?
Scott,
Thank you for your interest. No credit card number is required. Just write in your address and click "Submit Order" and you should receive access to the report. Please let me know if you have any issues. Thanks!
Eliot - I'd like to read this, but don't think I should need to provide a credit card number. The site is requiring one even though the fee is $0. Can you post another link or send me a copy directly?