DroneDeploy announced last week that it has received nationwide approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to conduct beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) inspections of critical infrastructure. This FAA waiver grants the company’s customers the ability to remotely deploy and monitor autonomous drones for inspection purposes, a significant development in the drone technology sector.

The company’s platform is already used by more than 80% of the top 50 U.S. general contractors, with leading hyperscale data center developers relying on DroneDeploy’s drones for aerial monitoring and analysis of construction and infrastructure projects. DroneDeploy’s technology provides targeted data analysis, ensuring that critical infrastructure projects, including those driven by the ongoing AI boom, are delivered efficiently and within budget.

Mike Winn, co-founder and CEO of DroneDeploy, expressed how the company’s BVLOS capabilities allow fully autonomous drones to operate on job sites, accelerating construction timelines and enhancing safety, speed, and quality throughout large-scale developments. “From site selection to mapping underground utilities and through to close-out, we cover every phase of development for these mission-critical facilities,” he said.

In the absence of a BVLOS waiver, non-BVLOS flights are illegal, as they require an on-site remote pilot in command (RPIC) and multiple observers to maintain visual contact with the drone. With the approval, DroneDeploy is now able to conduct BVLOS operations with minimal human intervention, optimizing the inspection and monitoring process for large construction sites.

DroneDeploy’s platform enhances visibility and efficiency for construction managers and project developers, allowing drones to capture detailed imagery and generate insights with reduced need for human oversight. Chief Product Officer James Pipe emphasized that delays in critical infrastructure projects can cost millions of dollars per day, making the autonomous drone capabilities essential for meeting strict schedules.

To ensure safe and efficient operations, DroneDeploy has integrated several safety features into its platform, including collision avoidance, compass calibration, preflight checklists, in-flight safety precautions, and signal maintenance. These features work together to help pilots maintain control and avoid potential hazards during operations. Additionally, the platform allows for manual control if needed and ensures safe return operations in the event of signal interruptions.

DroneDeploy also continues to innovate, having recently introduced multi-battery flight for the DJI Dock 1 and 2. Drones dock and automatically return for battery swaps, seamlessly resuming operations with all data uploaded into a unified map. The company also continues to expand its real-time kinematic (RTK) network to provide high-precision measurements and waypoints, further enhancing the overall reliability and accuracy of its drone inspections.

By Impact Lab