On this episode of Drones in America, host Grant Guillot was joined by Brasfield & Gorrie Innovation Specialist Ryan Hittie.
Brasfield & Gorrie is a general contracting firm, making Hittie uniquely qualified to touch on the subject of this episode – how the potential lessening of regulations surrounding the use of drones and UAVs over people could impact the construction industry.
Hittie has experienced the benefits of drones in data collection firsthand, which led him toward a career in drones and eventually to Brasfield & Gorrie.
Even in a relatively short career, he’s already seen large-scale trends in how drones can – or can’t – be used across different industries. In particular, during time spent leveraging them in oil and gas, Hittie labels Beyond Line of Sight regulations and necessary licensing as inhibitors to drone adoption.
Now, however, as regulations surrounding the use of drones and UAVs ease and technology continues to leap forward, the challenge will be less in encouraging adoption and more in keeping up with rising demand.
“In 2016, 2017 and 2018, it was adoption. We still had to try to show people that drones are more than a pretty picture. We started doing that as technology evolved,” Hittie said. “That kind of created a new problem, which was scale.”
Still, as more firms like Brasfield & Gorrie navigate this ever-shifting landscape and provide key drone services, drones will become increasingly practical for more and more construction projects.
