Will Evaluate Technology, Personnel, And Safety Issues

Beginning this summer, the Georgia Institute of Technology and CNN will embark on a joint research initiative to better understand the opportunities unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) present for media organizations, and to explore the access and safety issues that need to be addressed as part of any new regulatory framework. The project team will be staffed by researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) and senior members of CNN’s newsgathering team.

The effort will evaluate the technology, personnel and safety needs to operate effectively in the national air space.  GTRI and CNN plan to share their research data with the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) as it considers regulations that will allow for the safe and effective operation of UAVs by media outlets.

“UAVs have a number of applications that benefit society, such as search and rescue, disaster response and agricultural mapping and crop assessment,” said Mike Heiges, GTRI Principal Research Engineer. “We’re excited to be engaging with CNN to study the newsgathering applications for UAVs and look forward to working with one of the most respected news operations in the world.”

GTRI conducts UAV research, both in support of the Department of Defense (DoD) and also for private industry. Uniquely positioned to conduct this research, GTRI works closely with the FAA and has received more than 24 certificates of authorization (COA) from the FAA.

“Our hope is that by working cooperatively to share knowledge, we can accelerate the process for CNN and other media organizations to safely integrate this new technology into their coverage plans,” said David Vigilante, CNN’s Senior Vice President, Legal. “It’s a natural opportunity to work with our neighbors at Georgia Tech, who have experience, expertise and insights into this area.”

(Image provided by GTRI)

FMI: http://gtri.gatech.edu