I haven’t kept up with regulations for a few years, but back when I was familiar with them, you needed to maintain a line of sight to operate drones, and for commercial use, a Part 107 license was required.
These products seem to be designed for autonomous operation, without line of sight or a 107 license, and they’d be flying over people and moving vehicles.
Have the regulations changed, or is there an exception for safety and security uses?
The surveillance methods currently being tested by American companies overseas will definitely be used by U.S. police in the future. You can count on it.
Public safety agencies can obtain a BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) waiver for Drone as First Responder (DFR) operations. Some have had these waivers for years, though they don’t all appear in the FAA waiver search, likely due to the poor quality of FAA databases rather than any conspiracy. The Chula Vista police in California were pioneers in this area.
There’s no reason a commercial company couldn’t apply for a standard BVLOS waiver, though they wouldn’t qualify for the specialized DFR waiver process. While I’m not aware of this specific use case being approved, it’s possible, and it would likely involve collaboration with the FAA. Contrary to what people on Reddit might think, it’s not impossible.
The FAA waiver process is much simpler than people assume. You submit a detailed plan, specifying the regulations you want waived, and they either approve or deny it. Sometimes they request additional test data or work more closely with you if it’s a new scenario. For something like a parking lot, they’d likely expect small drones flying at low altitudes.
High-altitude flights usually require advanced Detection and Avoidance (DAA) capabilities, which ensure drones can detect and avoid planes, helicopters, balloons, etc. This has been a challenge for many BVLOS delivery operations. However, for smaller drones flying at low altitudes, like near a roofline, this requirement might not be necessary.
Chula Vista PD has been using BVLOS drones as first responders for a few years as part of a pilot program, with moderate success.
One major issue is the delay between a call and arriving at the scene, and drones help with that. They provide an early view of the situation, can track anyone leaving, and follow them until an officer arrives.
My agency has a COA, which lets us conduct some BVLOS operations, though we still need a visual observer at night. It’s not fully automated and doesn’t allow for extensive BVLOS use, plus our policy is more restrictive than the FAA’s regulations.
Public safety agencies can obtain a BVLOS waiver for DFR (Drone as First Responder). While some agencies have had these waivers for many years, not all of them appear in the FAA waiver search. This issue isn’t likely a conspiracy but rather a problem with the FAA’s databases. The Chula Vista police in California were pioneers in this area.
The legality of autonomous security drones varies by jurisdiction. Generally, their use must comply with regulations on privacy, airspace, and data protection. It’s essential to check local laws and regulations to ensure compliance.