Share

News organisations join drone-test programme

Washington - Ten US media organisations, including the New York Times and Washington Post, announced a coalition on Thursday to test drones for news gathering in collaboration with Virginia Tech University.

The initiative is "designed to conduct controlled safety testing of a series of real-life scenarios where the news media could use small UAS (unmanned aircraft systems) technology to gather the news", according to a statement from the media coalition.

Virginia Tech is among a small number of institutions authorised to conduct testing on various civilian applications for drones as the US Federal Aviation considers rules for these systems.

Some drones going onto the market are designed as toys, while others have various applications for industries or agriculture, and online retailer Amazon wants to use drones for deliveries.

Cable news giant CNN said this week it would conduct tests on drone use with Georgia Tech University.

Commercial use

Rose Mooney of Virginia Tech said the collaboration with the news organisations could lead to "a safe, efficient, timely and affordable way to gather and disseminate information and keep journalists out of harm's way".

The coalition includes Advance Publications, AH Belo, the Associated Press, Gannett, Getty Images, NBCUniversal, EW Scripps Company and Sinclair Broadcast Group.

The coalition has been working since mid-2014 to develop the testing procedures with Virginia Tech.

Outside the news media, several video production and aerial photo companies have asked for federal permission to use civilian drones.

A number of public agencies have been authorised to fly drones for public service purposes, such as for security, rescue or weather forecasting.

In contrast to other countries, the US has banned commercial use of civilian drones, except at low altitudes, while it develops strict regulations.

According to drone makers, allowing civilian drones to fly in US airspace could lead to the creation of 100 000 jobs and inject $82bn into the economy.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
18.94
-0.2%
Rand - Pound
23.91
-0.1%
Rand - Euro
20.43
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.34
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.2%
Platinum
910.50
+1.5%
Palladium
1,011.50
+1.0%
Gold
2,221.35
+1.2%
Silver
24.87
+0.9%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
68,346
+1.0%
All Share
74,536
+0.8%
Resource 10
57,251
+2.8%
Industrial 25
103,936
+0.6%
Financial 15
16,502
-0.1%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders