May 10, 2018 - Technology

Trump administration selects cities to test drones

A drone flies during a media demonstration by the Los Angeles Fire Department in Los Angeles. Photo: Ronen Tivony/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The U.S. Department of Transportation on Wednesday announced the selection of 10 cities for a pilot project aimed at testing different varieties of drones to ultimately establish future regulations on permanent deployments.

Why it matters, per Axios' Kim Hart: The FAA's pilot program is a big step for the industry wanting to test drones in different real-world settings to figure out how to fly at night, over houses and beyond the line of sight under controlled conditions.

Recipients of the projects:

  • City of Reno, Nevada
  • City of San Diego, California
  • Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
  • Innovation and Entrepreneurship Investment Authority (Virginia Tech)
  • Kansas Department of Transportation
  • Lee County (Florida) Mosquito Control District
  • Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority
  • North Carolina Department of Transportation
  • North Dakota Department of Transportation
  • University of Alaska-Fairbanks

Go deeper with Quartz for details on the 10 pilot programs selected; Demand for drones is exploding

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