(Reuters) -The U.S. Transportation Department on Tuesday is proposing new rules to speed deployment of drones beyond the visual line of sight of operators, a key change needed to advance commercial deployments like package deliveries.
Under current rules, operators need to get individual waivers or exemptions to use drones without visual line of sight. The department said eliminating those requirements “will significantly expand the use-case for drone technologies in areas like: manufacturing, farming, energy production, filmmaking, and the movement of products including lifesaving medications.”
The proposal includes new requirements for manufacturers, operators, and drone traffic-management services to keep drones safely separated from other drones and airplanes.
Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International CEO Michael Robbins praised the risk-based proposal as “a critical step toward enabling drone operations that will enhance safety, transform commercial services, and strengthen public safety with drones as a force multiplier.”
(Reporting by David Shepardson, Editing by Franklin Paul)
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