yond their line of sight to solve their prob-
lems.”
Dr. Ramirez-Serrano noted that this regula-
tion does not particularly hinder their mis-
sions because they are usually working on
private property and inside structures.
The next step for UAVs, according to Dr.
Ramirez-Serrano, is to further develop their
method for “sense and avoid” as they will
increasingly be flown in closer proximity
to buildings, power lines, within tighter
confined spaces (such a beneath the tree
canopy), and other UAVs. He wants the
machines to be able to adapt to situations
as they change, and essentially think for
themselves. The world is dynamic and en-
vironmental/mission conditions change all
the time. Technologies will need to auto-
matically adapt accordingly to facilitate
their use.
“I think the future of the industry looks
bright,” said Dr. Ramirez-Serrano. “Many
people are aware of the advantages that
drone technology will bring to particular in-
dustries (such as) search and rescue, polic-
ing, agriculture, energy, construction . . . In
terms of where we are going now, we are
trying to enhance our vehicles to be able
to fly faster and be able to physically ma-
nipulate the space and the environment
(surrounding them).”
More information can be found at
.
JULY 2015
H
business elite canada 67
