A Mind of Their Own: Autonomous Drone Operations

Seeking to reinvent the delivery process for humanitarian, online retail, and food delivery industries, a Nevada company successfully executed—a few months before the release of Part 107—the first fully autonomous drone delivery in an urban setting. With a pilot and a few visual observers on standby, a black six-rotor drone flew itself along a pre-determined delivery route dropping off a five and a half pound package containing bottled water, emergency food, and a first aid kit at an uninhabited house. This was a milestone for drones and autonomous systems.

Part 107 allows drones to operate autonomously under certain conditions. The FAA decided to permit autonomous drone operations for two reasons. First, autonomous drone operations have many practical applications, including agricultural operations, aerial photography, and search and rescue.