CTS hosts policymaker forum on unmanned aerial vehicles

barn drone
Photo: Shutterstock

In collaboration with the Airport Technical Assistance Program, CTS held a special forum on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for Minnesota state legislators and their staff on December 7.

The forum’s goal was to provide attendees with a greater understanding of the challenges and opportunities—as well as the policy and regulatory implications—of operating UAVs in Minnesota. Sessions offered information and facilitated discussions on issues related to safety, integration, economic impacts, and privacy and ethics.

The event also included a panel discussion that explored perspectives of different UAV user groups, including retailers, law enforcement personnel, and hobbyists. Demoz Gebre-Egziabher, co-director of the U’s UAV Laboratories and associate professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, participated on the panel. He offered his perspective on the benefits and challenges of UAVs as a researcher, pilot, and educator.

“[UAVs] provide a huge potential for all kinds of applications,” Gebre-Egziabher said. “At the same time, I happen to be a pilot, so I’m on the other side as well. There are some things I see about how drones are operated that kind of scare me. So our research is looking at the technologies that are going to be required to make these devices safe.”

Gebre-Egziabher also emphasized that regulations for UAVs will likely not be one-size-fits-all, since UAVs span such a wide spectrum of sizes and capabilities. In addition, he and other panelists expressed hope that future regulations will take the educational value of UAVs—including their ability to interest young people in aviation, engineering, and technology—into account.

“Drones have been a boon for education,” Gebre-Egziabher said. “I’m hoping that in coming years we have a clear picture of how to deal with this technology and make sure we have rules and laws that foster the education aspect and also protect safety.”

Scott Dibble, chair of the Senate Transportation and Public Safety Committee (and a member of the CTS Executive Committee), gave closing remarks. He noted the many potential applications of UAVs—including precision agriculture, package delivery, and bridge inspection—and the need to consider a wide range of perspectives when thinking about regulations, resource allocation, and privacy issues.

“We don’t know what the future holds,” Dibble said. “We’re in a learning mode, and we invite everyone to participate in this conversation—to bring ideas and to present real-world opportunities for what we might be doing in terms of economic development, transportation, and public safety.”

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