Distributed Sky team has been developing software tools that help organize the market for autonomous drone services for the past two years. In 2017 it became clear that a UAS traffic management (UTM) system is the major next step the drone industry needs to go through to unlock the full potential of autonomous drones.

The US has more than 900,000 bridges. According to regulation, each bridge requires inspection every two years to ensure that there are no cracks, rusting, or other damage. This means that every day, 1,232 bridges need to be inspected. Inspection of such bridges requires a crew of inspection professionals, heavy machinery with lifts, people rappelling from dangerous heights, resulting in each inspection taking a few days.

And this is only to understand if there is a problem! Infrastructure inspection, which can include bridges, pipelines, electrical grids and other facilities, is crucial for structure usage and safety, yet it is expensive, time consuming and dangerous. Fortunately, new professional-grade drone inspection technologies can help alleviate these challenges.

While drones continue to get much smaller, more powerful, and have better payload options, one thing that will stay the same is its ability to quickly reach a vantage point where humans cannot easily get access to. This remote controlled or even autonomous flying platforms can be used to make people's jobs easier and more efficient through better information gathering and surveying. Firefighter Drones are sent to fire locations as scouts, using cameras with thermal imaging technology to help first responders in their rescue efforts. 

As more and more consumers turn to drones to capture new aerial perspectives, law enforcement offices have been doing the same. Small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones have been growing in popularity ever since drone manufacturers have made them extremely easy to use and available in a large range of sizes and performance. With the ability to be quickly deployed, capture high-quality video, and be equipped with thermal imaging cameras it is easy to see why law enforcement would want to use drones and get an upper hand on the scene.

For three days during the heat of the summer thousands of people from the UAV industry descend upon the flashy desert city of Las Vegas, Nevada. The 2017 Interdrone Conference and Expo was held September 6-8 at the Rio Hotel and Casino, which is located near the bright lights of the famous Las Vegas strip. The annual 3 day event boasts nearly 200 drone industry manufacturers, sellers and vendors.