Bothell, Wash., June 12, 2015 — The Property Drone Consortium (PDC), a collaboration of insurance carriers, construction industry leaders and supporting enterprises promoting research and development for the safe use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) announced the grant of a Section 333 exemption and a Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA) from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to the PDC.
Working in conjunction with EagleView Technologies, the exemption authorizes the PDC to legally fly and conduct restricted research and development on the use of UAS for aerial data collection, in the U.S. National Airspace System.
The Section 333 exemption grant and COA authorize the use of the Microdrones MD4−1000 and Aerialtronics Altura Zenith ATX8 for aerial data collection, including research for property inspection in the insurance and construction industries. EagleView is working closely with the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), to lead the research effort for the consortium focusing on the collection and processing of intelligent images utilizing drone platforms and their subsequent assessment for property exteriors, specifically roof damage detection. Research will also include ongoing safety initiatives for collision avoidance, visual line of sight and automated flight planning.
Founded by EagleView Technology Corporation, a leading provider of aerial imagery, data analytics and GIS solutions, the PDC is committed to addressing considerations and success factors for UAS use especially when it comes to data collection, process and delivery along with safe and economical capture.
“We are very pleased with the Section 333 exemption and COA. Understanding the importance of UAS technology for property inspections led us to gather best of class organizations to form this consortium. As industry leaders we needed to be a part of the overall UAS discussions including regulations, standards and safety considerations,” stated Chris Barrow, chairperson of the PDC and president and CEO of EagleView. “Collaboration and shared research is the best allocation of resources for all involved in terms of internal skill sets, regulatory insight, financials, and the overall technology expertise needed in regards to aerial platforms, sensors, data capture, data management and workflow integration.”
