Nevada Launches Drone Center for Public Safety

Creating a safe unmanned traffic system within managed airspace is arguably one of the most imperative tasks at hand for those involved in the arena of drones.

In an attempt to provide safer flying environs given that the FAA has permitted integration of drones into the commercial air traffic system, the Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems (NIAS) made an announcement about the launch of the Nevada Drone Center of Excellence for Public Safety (NDCOE).

The aim is to create a shared safety vision for a flying environment that is safe from drone incursion related air hazards.

In a recent state-wide survey conducted by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and NIAS Nevada Drone Industry, the NDCOE found that in the U.S.  80% of the survey respondents were concerned that an airline disaster could be caused by a recreational drone.

Approximately 90% respondents were worried that aerial drones could enter airspace without authorization at outdoor sports events or at large public gathering events.

“We are taking an aggressive approach toward solving the complex UAS Industry challenge of mitigating drone incursions into the National Airspace System (NAS)—one of the toughest FAA challenges today.” said Dr. Chris Walach, Senior Director, NIAS and the FAA-designated Nevada UAS Test Site.

The NDCOE will provide safety incursion research data, drone technology best practices and educational materials and will also spread awareness through public workshops to educate about drone related public safety and privacy in an open and ethical manner, encourage audiences to join the NIAS public safety movement.

The project will be based in Las Vegas, Nevada, with facilities donated by Switch. The centre aims at protecting against drone users who pose a public safety hazard due to inexperience and/or malicious drone operations. NDCOE will advance Drone Surveillance, Detect, and Avoid (remote sensing), wild land firefighting, gas-leak detection and time-sensitive medical delivery technologies for life-saving medical equipment and organs.

“In addition to fostering major advances in UAS technology with testing partners like the FAA, NASA, and Switch, Nevada is also home to the most registered drone users in the nation in Las Vegas,” said Paul Anderson, Executive Director of the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development.