Fears law controlling drones won’t keep pace with technology

Proposed regulations further limiting where drones can legally operate in urban areas may quickly become dated.

Proposed regulations further limiting where drones can legally operate in urban areas may quickly become dated, as the technology of remote autonomous vehicles improves.

Adam Beck from the Smart Cities Council said the use of drones as “data collectors” was shaping to be a vital tool for the planning, design and development of urban areas.

Addressing the World Congress of Drones this week, Mr Beck said already drones were being used for building inspection, real estate sales, valuations and design functions with their application was only set to expand.

“What a drone is now able to capture in terms of photography and video, it is just giving us such a deeper, richer data set that can then be crunched,” Mr Beck said.

“What that allows us to do is just gather so much more actionable intelligence, and provide a perspective of the city that helps us join the dots, and understand how systems work.”

A Senate committee report on the operation of drones recommended expanding the areas in which they were banned to “buildings of significance”.

But Mr Beck said it was possible regulations would be adapted to allow for greater urban application as the technology became more accurate, improving control and safety.

“Like any piece of technology, the early models are often a bit clunky, a bit big, and the accuracy may not be the best,” he said.

“In the early days there will be barriers and rules, but I’m confident we will work through those over time.”