DRAGANFLY PHOTOS
the valley of the ‘Gartner cycle,’ ” he explains, referring to the low spot in the development curve of any technology where the early hype has faded and the excitement level has fallen to about as low a point as it will ever go. “And that’s the place where the product really matures a lot. So from here, we only will go up again.”
Chinese Manufacturers Take a Hit
Competent and reasonably well- financed UAS manufacturers, equipment and parts makers, and operators are now on the cusp of breakout success, Wackwitz says. And most of them stand to benefit from the disappearance of Chinese drone manufacturers from the gov- ernment market for commercial drones. Last year, several US gov-
“Data is the new oil. It means everything, and there are going to be more and more situations in which obtaining and protecting data is
ernment agencies issued orders to their teams in the field to stop acquiring Chinese-made drones and to stop using any already in their inventory. In January, President Donald Trump extended that order to all of the federal government. Te concern, apart from the deepening US–China battle over trade and economic regulations, is that all Chinese UAS are suspected of containing hidden technologies that could allow them to collect data the US government views as secret or sensitive—and to do so without their operators’ or owners’ knowledge. DJI, which is based in China and is the world’s biggest drone manufacturer, denies that its products contain such spying capabilities. “Tis is going to become a bigger issue, not a smaller issue,” Draganfly’s Chell says. “Data is the new oil. It means every- thing, and there are going to be more and more situations in which obtaining and protecting data is paramount.” Until now, despite the billions of dollars invested in Western
drone companies, few have been able to thrive in competition against the Chinese. Draganfly, which by industry standards is a relatively small player, has survived on its reputation for producing reliable and versatile UAS for sophisticated com- mercial users, and on its low-profile work on military drones for the United States and allied nations. “We are now being brought in on all kinds of levels to fill
this $500 million to $600 million vacuum that has been opened up in the market,” Chell says. “Anything that touches
government land or government work cannot have a Chinese product attached to it. Few companies can fill that need. But we can fill some of it. And I definitely think others will be trying to fill that same vacuum.” Published reports also suggest that the Trump administration is working on an executive order that would ban all federal agencies and depart- ments from buying or using any foreign-made UAS, putting the United States in the position of openly distrusting the products of even friendly nations. In response to the changes
paramount.” – Cameron Chell, co-founder and CEO, Draganfly
regarding the use of Chinese drones, Draganfly has already expanded its operations and product line and expects to grow even further. Other Western drone manufacturers are taking similar steps, though to what degree those outside the United States might be impacted by the potential exec-
utive order remains to be seen. Nor is it clear whether even Draganfly, with its track record of serving the US military, will be affected. Despite its operations in Southern California, it remains a Canadian company.
Moving Toward Ubiquity For all the drone industry’s recent growth and hype, relatively few people have seen a commercial UAS at work. Tat, however, is about to change as drones move into the mainstream. Because of the wide variety of both manned and unmanned
aircraft, it’s difficult to compare purchase and operating costs unless you’re discussing specific aircraft and missions. However, it’s generally accepted that UAS are less expensive to purchase and operate than helicopters. Increasingly, drones are being used by businesses, govern- ments, and individuals to accomplish aerial missions at a lower cost—and often more efficiently, too. “I can put a man on the
ground and [have him] walk it for several weeks to see where we’ll put in a logging access road, or I can put a LIDAR [light detec- tion and ranging] unit on a drone and fly over
2020 Q2 ROTOR 53
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80
