3DR and AirMap Provide More Airspace Safety with Drone No-Fly-Zone

Drone manufacturer is working together with AirMap to bring real-time mapping of no-fly-zone to its drone app. In a huge increase of drone ownership, it is getting difficult to regulate them. This real-time mapping may be able to solve the problem.

Mashable reported that there has been an increasing number of reports about drones doing dangerous things: From nearly colliding with commercial airliners to disrupting firefighting aircraft, or flying in the restricted area. Moreover, there will be a big surge of drone this year, as Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) predicts one million drones will be given as holiday gifts. Although FAA has declared no-fly-zones in certain areas, but that does not prevent vicious drone operator to fly in that area. The new updated Solo drone app by 3DR may have been an important step for dynamic and reliable geofencing.

Solo Drone is a UAV built by 3D Robotics (3DR) for aerial photography purpose. 3DR promoted the drone as the smartest umanned aerial vehicle ever built, equipped with two computers and built to work with action cameras. Solo Drone is designed specifically for Hero action camera made by GoPro, the leading manufacturer for action and adventure camera. Solo Drone app will now integrate AirMap to determine safe flying zone.

According to Tech Crunch this functionality will be installed in 3DR's consumer-grade Solo drone. When using the app, pilots will see a yellow or overlay if they're attempting to fly within a restricted zone. Additional information about the restriction is also available. Its competitor has also tried to build similar functionality, but 3DR has AirMap as a determining factor. In regard to AirMap co-operation with drone manufacturer, Ben Marcus, CEO of Airmap said, "Drones are a powerful, important and increasingly popular technology, and we want to make it easy for people to fly them safely,"

AirMap is a company that provides a free, comprehensive digital map that allows drone operators to have visual airspace around them, including areas where they may not be permitted to fly. AirMap was founded by Ben Marcus, who also founded noflyzone.org, a comprehensive airspace database that register no-fly-zone area in the U.S. and Canada, including civil and military airspace, airports, hospitals, schools, and other sensitive locations. Based on noflyzone.org database, Ben Marcus founded AirMap.

Gizmodo reported that one important innovation with 3DR and Airmap is in temporary air restrictions. The temporary restriction are the areas where like the ones that have a VVIP guest, or above a wildfire. Although those are much harder to keep track of than the permanent no-fly zone around airports, but just as important.

With this co-operation between 3DR and AirMap, regulating drone might be easier. Since AirMap will always provide real-time data of no-fly-zone to drone operator, it will keep them flying in the safe zone.