Drones are typically associated with hobbyists and geeks but the reality is that there are a growing number of industries that could benefit greatly from the use of unmanned aerial vehicles.
Companies like Amazon and UPS are already researching ways to deliver packages to your doorstep using drones. The Federal Aviation Administration, however, may have other plans but they aren't totally against the commercialization of drones as they recently issued permits that allow for the use of UAVs in real estate and agricultural industries.
We can now add news reporting to the list of potential uses as CNN has signed a research agreement with the FAA that will advance efforts to bring more UAVs into the news-gathering and reporting process.
Specifically, the agreement will integrate CNN's existing research involving the Georgia Tech Research Institute with that of the FAA. In fact, the coordination between the partners have already begun with the FAA hoping to come up with guidelines that'll allow UAVs to be safely integrated into news-gathering operations.
CNN Senior Vice President David Vigilante said the aim is to get beyond hobby-grade equipment and to establish what options are available and workable to produce high quality video journalism using various types of UAVs and camera setups.
The push to get drones involved in news reporting has been going on for quite some time. Last May, more than a dozen top news organizations filed a brief with the National Transpiration Safety Board in support of their cause. The agencies claim that restrictions violate first amendment protections afforded to journalists and curbs their ability to report the news.