The database can be accessed at www.droneregulations.info.
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For information contact: Denise Soesilo, RPAS Project Manager FSD space@fsd.ch or +41 22 907 3603
Showing posts with label UAVs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UAVs. Show all posts
Friday, December 16, 2016
Global Drone Regulations Database Launched
The database can be accessed at www.droneregulations.info.
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For information contact: Denise Soesilo, RPAS Project Manager FSD space@fsd.ch or +41 22 907 3603
Monday, May 23, 2016
Drone technology helps insure Indian farmers more effectively
Crop insurance payouts could be sped up with the help of drone technology, preventing financial hardship and potentially helping more small-scale farmers get insured.
Thousands of farmers are killing themselves in India every year. They make this ultimate sacrifice not just because the weather gods have been brutal. It is also because they have been failed by crop insurance, their primary protection from climatic flippancy.
Less than 23% of India’s millions farmers are covered by crop insurance, and even those who are insured regularly suffer financial hardship from delayed payouts. These payments are often deferred by the slow damage assessment process as land record office personnel travel from village to village to conduct inspections. This means that it takes insurers a long time to receive timely, accurate data.
Indian farmers need to get their insurance payments faster. Therefore, India's central government has launched a technology-focused crop insurance pilot project called “Kisan” to address the problem. It is part of Indian central government’s new crop damage insurance scheme that is called “Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna”, which translates as “Prime-Minister's crop insurance scheme”.
While Kisan’s use of UAVs is still experimental, the data the devices collect can be used by government agricultural analysts, farmers, and insurance companies to improve the crop insurance system in a number of ways. Aerial imagery can be used to quickly classify surveyed areas into cultivated and non-cultivated land, and to assess how much damage has been caused by natural disasters. Expert analysts can also use UAV-gathered topography and elevation data to monitor soil erosion and to more accurately design water drainage and irrigation systems.
Agricultural analysts could use Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data collected by UAVs to conduct faster and more accurate crop health surveys – allowing insurers to process claims faster. They can use the same data to construct statistical models for risk management, based on historical yield, pest, and weather data. Drone data might also be useful for the early detection and prediction of pest infestations, data that insurance companies could share with farmers. Finally, drone data can be used to detect insurance fraud, preventing fraudsters from insuring the same piece of land multiple times, or claiming damage where there is none.
Although UAV technology shows considerable promise for agricultural insurers in India, there are plenty of regulatory and logistical challenges to overcome. Since October 2014, civilians have been banned from using drones in India – a restriction that will likely last until the Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) comes up with a regulatory system for commercial drones.
While the civilian UAV ban is still in place, some government organisations are beginning to acquire the devices. In January 2016, the Agriculture Ministry announced that it would allow the Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre (MNCFC) to purchase UAVs for assessing crop damage. Eventually, the Agriculture Ministry anticipates buying UAVs for each Indian state to support the crop insurance programme.
India's massive agricultural sector presents another obstacle to the widespread adoption of UAV imagery in crop insurance. While UAVs will help make data collection faster and cheaper, innovative business models will be required to make crop insurance work on such a massive scale.
Therefore, introducing UAV imagery into Indian crop insurance won't always be easy. If the Kisan programme is successful, more Indian farmers will be able to enjoy the peace of mind that good crop insurance brings. And they will have far less to fear from bad weather.
Thousands of farmers are killing themselves in India every year. They make this ultimate sacrifice not just because the weather gods have been brutal. It is also because they have been failed by crop insurance, their primary protection from climatic flippancy.
 |
| Credit: GaryCycles (CC license) |
Indian farmers need to get their insurance payments faster. Therefore, India's central government has launched a technology-focused crop insurance pilot project called “Kisan” to address the problem. It is part of Indian central government’s new crop damage insurance scheme that is called “Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna”, which translates as “Prime-Minister's crop insurance scheme”.
Crop insurance system
The Kisan pilot programme combines agricultural data collected by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) – also known as drones – with high-definition satellite imagery, as well as crowd sourced data collected from farmers’ smartphones. These data sources can then be used with more traditional estimation methods, potentially helping officials speed up crop damage assessments and more accurately estimate yield.While Kisan’s use of UAVs is still experimental, the data the devices collect can be used by government agricultural analysts, farmers, and insurance companies to improve the crop insurance system in a number of ways. Aerial imagery can be used to quickly classify surveyed areas into cultivated and non-cultivated land, and to assess how much damage has been caused by natural disasters. Expert analysts can also use UAV-gathered topography and elevation data to monitor soil erosion and to more accurately design water drainage and irrigation systems.
Agricultural analysts could use Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data collected by UAVs to conduct faster and more accurate crop health surveys – allowing insurers to process claims faster. They can use the same data to construct statistical models for risk management, based on historical yield, pest, and weather data. Drone data might also be useful for the early detection and prediction of pest infestations, data that insurance companies could share with farmers. Finally, drone data can be used to detect insurance fraud, preventing fraudsters from insuring the same piece of land multiple times, or claiming damage where there is none.
A ban on drones
UAVs won't operate alone. In the future, agricultural insurers will likely rely on different combinations of satellite and UAV data, which can be combined with traditional analysis methods to create a truly comprehensive view of India's farmland. By using these new data-collection methods, insurers would be able to deliver a better, cheaper product. And this would make it possible for more farmers to get insured.Although UAV technology shows considerable promise for agricultural insurers in India, there are plenty of regulatory and logistical challenges to overcome. Since October 2014, civilians have been banned from using drones in India – a restriction that will likely last until the Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) comes up with a regulatory system for commercial drones.
While the civilian UAV ban is still in place, some government organisations are beginning to acquire the devices. In January 2016, the Agriculture Ministry announced that it would allow the Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre (MNCFC) to purchase UAVs for assessing crop damage. Eventually, the Agriculture Ministry anticipates buying UAVs for each Indian state to support the crop insurance programme.
India's massive agricultural sector presents another obstacle to the widespread adoption of UAV imagery in crop insurance. While UAVs will help make data collection faster and cheaper, innovative business models will be required to make crop insurance work on such a massive scale.
Therefore, introducing UAV imagery into Indian crop insurance won't always be easy. If the Kisan programme is successful, more Indian farmers will be able to enjoy the peace of mind that good crop insurance brings. And they will have far less to fear from bad weather.
About the Author:
Ruchit G Garg (Ruchit@harvesting.co) is founder and CEO of Harvesting, a Silicon Valley, US based company that provides data driven insights to farmers.Source:
Republished with consent from ICT Update, issue 82, April 2016Follow @UAV4Ag on Twitter
#Drone #technology helps insure #Indian #farmers more effectively https://t.co/lAao4L13B3 #drones #insurance #crops pic.twitter.com/aWmpLEMzXd— Drones 4 Agriculture (@UAV4Ag) May 23, 2016
Monday, May 16, 2016
Making sense of drone regulations
Authorities demand regulation for and supervision of the increasing use of drones, because of privacy, safety and security issues. Drone operators must be aware of this.
While unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) – also known as drones – are indisputably useful for civilians, the technology has an increasing public relations problem. For example, UK pilots were calling for research into what would happen if a UAV hit an airliner, after 23 near-misses around UK airports in six months during 2015. In Japan, UAVs equipped with a net have been developed to capture rogue UAVs that might threaten disruptions along flight paths. And the Dutch police are experimenting with trained eagles to take unwanted UAVs out of the sky.
Some people are wary of drones due to the technology's association with lethal military technology. Others have seen recent news reports describing the reckless and indiscreet use of UAVs by civilians, from paparazzi drones to unauthorized UAVs flights over tourist hot-spots. These incidents have made governments and citizens around the world raise serious concerns about leaving the technology unregulated.
PhotoThe debate about UAV regulation also concerns developing countries. Some nations, like South Africa, have already implemented regulations on the use of the technology by civilians, while others, like Kenya, have banned the use of UAVs without explicit permission from authorities. Several small island developing states in the Pacific have adopted the regulations formulated by their bigger, more developed neighbours. That is the case for Samoa and Tonga, for example, who follow the UAV laws of New Zealand. Still, many developing countries have no provision at all when it comes to the use of this technology by civilians.
The increasing commercial exploitation of smaller drones will require further, specific adjustments, such as limitations on third-party liability, the introduction of UAV weight categories below 500 kilograms, and adjustments to the risk levels that are associated with the flight characteristics of very small UAVs. Some concerns with UAVs are not new: the protection of fundamental civilian rights, such as the privacy of images and data, was already an issue with the use of manned aircraft and helicopters. In this context UAVs represent an increase in the scale of aerial data collection – a new challenge when it comes to strengthening and managing the legal protection of privacy rights and both personal and business data.
The international discussion about regulation of the commercial application of UAVs formally began in 2007 with the creation of an unmanned aerial system study group within the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The study group brought to the table several member states and aviation management organizations. In 2011 the study group produced a circular 328, followed in 2015 by a manual on unmanned aircraft systems and proposed amendments to national civil aviation laws.
ICAO's current coordination efforts in the international arena focus almost exclusively on the large remotely-piloted aircrafts used for trans-boundary missions and not on the smaller UAVs. However, much of the material that was prepared by the study group is useful to develop country-specific and regionally relevant regulations for small UAVs under 500 kilograms and with visual line-of-sight operations, as Leslie Cary, who manages ICAO’s programme on drones, said at the Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems Symposium in March 2015.
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has been tasked by the European Commission to develop a regulatory framework for drone operations and proposals for the regulation of civil, low-risk drone operations. In achieving this, EASA is working closely with the Joint Authorities for Rulemaking of Unmanned Systems (JARUS), which is producing guidelines that should serve the UAV governance of the national airspaces.
South Africa in particular has implemented and now enforces a comprehensive set of legally-bound rules governing UAVs, placing it among the small group of nations that have working regulations. Others, like Senegal and Kenya, have banned the civilian use of drones or specific airborne tools, such as cameras, although they have amended their aviation laws with drone-related provisions developed by ICAO. Others, like Chad and Gabon, still left notes in their newly updated aviation laws stating that international norms still need to be established on specifics such as certification, licensing and aircraft types. Others have created a variety of forms, guides and information products, and sometimes have simply adopted the UAV rules of another country, without any official amendments to their aviation laws.
In emergency situations, like post cyclone Vanuatu, drones have been used on Efate and Tanna islands for reconnaissance and damage assessment purposes with the endorsement of the government, but in the absence of a legal framework and specific rules. Thus, it appears that the question is no longer whether, but how and when the integration of UAVs into existing forms of aviation will take place. When rules are unclear, professional small UAV operators working in agriculture or natural resource management should use common sense and follow diligence: have an operator permit, documentation and registration for the aircraft and the instrument used, and seek approval from local authorities. Ideally they also should seek approval from customs and national transport agencies.
ACP countries looking to regulate the technology should consult with professional operators and users of drones to ensure that UAVs’ user cases are well defined and their authorisation streamlined for the relevant activities within the individual countries.
While unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) – also known as drones – are indisputably useful for civilians, the technology has an increasing public relations problem. For example, UK pilots were calling for research into what would happen if a UAV hit an airliner, after 23 near-misses around UK airports in six months during 2015. In Japan, UAVs equipped with a net have been developed to capture rogue UAVs that might threaten disruptions along flight paths. And the Dutch police are experimenting with trained eagles to take unwanted UAVs out of the sky.
Some people are wary of drones due to the technology's association with lethal military technology. Others have seen recent news reports describing the reckless and indiscreet use of UAVs by civilians, from paparazzi drones to unauthorized UAVs flights over tourist hot-spots. These incidents have made governments and citizens around the world raise serious concerns about leaving the technology unregulated.
 |
| Image: Walter Volkmann |
Why rules and standards are necessary
One of the fundamental prerequisites for the use of small UAVs in public airspace is the existence of harmonised rules, in particular for UAV operators. These rules should pertain to safety and training, facilitate cross-country recognition of aircraft and pilot certification. Furthermore, such regulations should be combined with appropriate provisions for the protection of public privacy, data protection, liability and insurance. UAV rules also need standards that apply to both private and commercial use, covering issues such as the identification of types of small UAVs, and development of technologies that can prevent hackers or third parties from taking control of the devices while they are in the air. Clear and concise guidance material, customs procedures, simplified regulations, and readily available online forms and information products, like maps that show where it is allowed or not to use UAVs, could all help to succeed in reducing risks for operators.The increasing commercial exploitation of smaller drones will require further, specific adjustments, such as limitations on third-party liability, the introduction of UAV weight categories below 500 kilograms, and adjustments to the risk levels that are associated with the flight characteristics of very small UAVs. Some concerns with UAVs are not new: the protection of fundamental civilian rights, such as the privacy of images and data, was already an issue with the use of manned aircraft and helicopters. In this context UAVs represent an increase in the scale of aerial data collection – a new challenge when it comes to strengthening and managing the legal protection of privacy rights and both personal and business data.
The international discussion about regulation of the commercial application of UAVs formally began in 2007 with the creation of an unmanned aerial system study group within the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The study group brought to the table several member states and aviation management organizations. In 2011 the study group produced a circular 328, followed in 2015 by a manual on unmanned aircraft systems and proposed amendments to national civil aviation laws.
ICAO's current coordination efforts in the international arena focus almost exclusively on the large remotely-piloted aircrafts used for trans-boundary missions and not on the smaller UAVs. However, much of the material that was prepared by the study group is useful to develop country-specific and regionally relevant regulations for small UAVs under 500 kilograms and with visual line-of-sight operations, as Leslie Cary, who manages ICAO’s programme on drones, said at the Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems Symposium in March 2015.
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has been tasked by the European Commission to develop a regulatory framework for drone operations and proposals for the regulation of civil, low-risk drone operations. In achieving this, EASA is working closely with the Joint Authorities for Rulemaking of Unmanned Systems (JARUS), which is producing guidelines that should serve the UAV governance of the national airspaces.
Regulations in ACP countries
Research led by the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) recently examined the current state of drone-related regulations in the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group of states. It revealed several distinct categories of responses to the drone issue. Indeed, ICAO member states use the organisation's standards and recommended practices and other guidance material to develop their own regulations.South Africa in particular has implemented and now enforces a comprehensive set of legally-bound rules governing UAVs, placing it among the small group of nations that have working regulations. Others, like Senegal and Kenya, have banned the civilian use of drones or specific airborne tools, such as cameras, although they have amended their aviation laws with drone-related provisions developed by ICAO. Others, like Chad and Gabon, still left notes in their newly updated aviation laws stating that international norms still need to be established on specifics such as certification, licensing and aircraft types. Others have created a variety of forms, guides and information products, and sometimes have simply adopted the UAV rules of another country, without any official amendments to their aviation laws.
In emergency situations, like post cyclone Vanuatu, drones have been used on Efate and Tanna islands for reconnaissance and damage assessment purposes with the endorsement of the government, but in the absence of a legal framework and specific rules. Thus, it appears that the question is no longer whether, but how and when the integration of UAVs into existing forms of aviation will take place. When rules are unclear, professional small UAV operators working in agriculture or natural resource management should use common sense and follow diligence: have an operator permit, documentation and registration for the aircraft and the instrument used, and seek approval from local authorities. Ideally they also should seek approval from customs and national transport agencies.
Emerging UAV expertise
Tackling safety and privacy issues together with the adoption of harmonised relevant regulation will play a crucial role in the public acceptance of civilian drone technology, and the role of ICAO and JARUS is instrumental in developing the appropriate standards and recommended practices. Regional coordination efforts could spur further harmonisation of national operating rules, licences and certification between neighbouring countries. By doing this they could help the spread of commercial applications and facilitate the growth of regional enterprises and expertise on UAV technology.ACP countries looking to regulate the technology should consult with professional operators and users of drones to ensure that UAVs’ user cases are well defined and their authorisation streamlined for the relevant activities within the individual countries.
About the Author:
Cédric Jeanneret (cedricj@gmail.com) is a freelance geographer. Cédric is particularly interested in capturing and analysing geographic information to map and learn about the diffusion of innovations and adoption of technology in socio-ecological systems.Source:
Republished with consent from ICT Update, issue 82, April 2016
Related links:
- Website of the Joint Authorities for Rulemaking on Unmanned Systems (JARUS).
- ICAO study of legal issues relating to remotely piloted aircraft (2015):
- Webpage of the South Africa Civil Aviation Authority on UAVs
Follow @UAV4Ag on Twitter
Making sense of #drone #regulations https://t.co/Zqd2Myqala by @ict_update | #drones #agriculture #sUAS #precisionAg pic.twitter.com/Fy6SbEPzFy— Drones 4 Agriculture (@UAV4Ag) May 16, 2016
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Drones and Aerial Observation : New Technologies for Property Rights, Human Rights, and Global Development
More information on New America
We have wings to fly - Join the uav4ag community
The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones for management of crops, livestock, fisheries, forests and other natural resource-based activities represents a new technological frontier and opens up a range of exciting opportunities. UAVs offer also opportunities for grassroots’ involvement in monitoring use of and access to the resources their livelihoods depend on.
A community has been established on www.uav4ag.org to cater for practitioners, researchers, farmers, entrepreneurs, service providers operating in developing countries and who are interested in the topic. Members of the community share their experiences in developing UAV technologies and related software applications and more importantly in making use of small UAVs to improve the assessment and management of crops, fishing grounds and other resource-based activities. Relevant events, capacity building opportunities and other resources are signalled as soon as these are known by members of the community.
Being the use of UAVs for agricultural purposes a recent phenomenon, national aviation authorities and potential users are facing new challenges linked to the use of UAVs within their skies. Hence this Community focuses also on existing and forthcoming policies, laws and regulations governing their use.
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