Dr. George Ligler, one of BME’s newest faculty members (and long-time Industry Advisory Board member), has recently briefed the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the House Aviation subcommittee on assessing risks of unmanned aircraft systems in US airspace. As the chair for the National Academies committee of the same name, Dr. Ligler drove home the point that the current “one-size-fits-all” FAA policy related to commercial drone use is stifling progress and integration of this technology. According to the report drafted by Dr. Ligler and other members of the National Academies committee, this “overly conservative” approach by the FAA is preventing potentially life-changing applications of drone usage, such as inspecting cell phone towers and aiding firefighters.
The report, along with Dr. Ligler’s insights, has been reported on by the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Safety+Health, and numerous other news outlets.