As drone technology continues to evolve, efforts are continuing to make sure that Connecticut isn”™t left in the dust.
“There have been some very exciting developments over the past year, even with the pandemic,” Mark Strauss, co-founder of Stamford”™s WaveAerospace, told the Business Journal. “We”™re continuing our testing program, we”™ve moved offices and we”™re still working on the Stamford-Huntington project.”
That project, first reported by the Business Journal in March 2020, involves establishing a 10-mile pathway between Stamford and Huntington, Long Island, with aircraft to fly over the Long Island Sound between 500 and 1,000 feet high in a 1,000-foot-wide corridor.
It would be only the eighth designated drone corridor in the U.S., Strauss said, and the only one between two states. With Covid hitting Huntington particularly hard, the project was essentially put on hold for much of last year; “We”™re waiting for both states to be fully reopened so we can complete the details,” Strauss said.
Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut has become involved in the drone industry through his support of The U.S. Innovation and Competition Act of 2021, formerly known as the Endless Frontier Act. Sponsored by Sens. Chuck Schumer of New York and Todd Young of Indiana, the bill would authorize $110 billion for basic and advanced technology research over five years.
Blumenthal also played a key role in the U.S. Department of Justice”™s decision to ban the use of Department of Justice funds to buy or operate drones from “covered foreign” countries such as China. The bipartisan American Security Drone Act, Blumenthal co-authored, paves the way for U.S.-based drone manufacturers to enter the burgeoning industry.
How burgeoning is it? The global Unmanned Aerial Vehicle market was estimated at $13.4 billion in 2020 and is expected to hit $20.8 billion this year. It is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 57.5% from 2021 to 2028, according to Grand View Research.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, 868,838 drones are registered in the U.S. Da Jiang Innovations of China has a 76.8% share of the U.S. market, according to the German drone research organization Droneii.
A July 23-dated statement by the U.S. Department of Defense said, “that systems produced by Da Jiang Innovations pose potential threats to national security.”
It went on to state: “A recent report indicated that certain models of DJI systems had been found to be approved for procurement and operations for U.S. government departments and agencies. This report was inaccurate and uncoordinated and its unauthorized release is currently under review by the department. In 2018, DOD issued a ban on the purchase and use of all commercial off-the-shelf drones, regardless of manufacturer, due to cybersecurity concerns.”
“Our goal is to become more competitive by strengthening U.S. leadership and businesses in critical technologies through investment in innovation,” Blumenthal said during the visit to Hartford”™s Aquiline Drones last month. “These include artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, cloud technology, IoT (Internet of Things) and advanced manufacturing.”
Other topics discussed by the senator and Aquiline founder and CEO Barry Alexander included new industry applications for drone technology such as smart farming, drone delivery services for human tissues and organs, asset inspection, including energy and utilities, bridges, tunnels, wind turbines, cellphone towers, as well as their utilization in multiple areas by first responders ”” the latter of which are also priorities for WaveAerospace.
Alexander attested that Blumenthal, who chairs the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety and Data Security, “has been a huge proponent by introducing and supporting federal legislation to enhance American-based technology, manufacturing, AI, R&D and the Internet of Things. By seeing firsthand how we”™re developing and building the next generation of drones right here in his home state, we hope to arm him with more ammunition to continue his fight in Washington by creating laws that protect our nation and produce much-needed, high-paying jobs.”
The global drone market is being driven by the increasing use of unmanned aerial vehicles across such industries such as defense and security, agriculture, retail, media and entertainment. Perhaps the most recent high-profile application came during the Olympics opening ceremony, when 1,824 LED-equipped drones formed a 3D model of the world.
While such performances can be entertaining, Strauss said his company remains focused on providing additional tools to police and other first responders.
“Most drones have a limit when it comes to the environment they can fly in,” he said. “Going out in 30 mile-per-hour winds in the pouring rain ”” that”™s what we do.”
And while he acknowledged Blumenthal”™s “America First” approach, Strauss said WaveAerospace is more focused on working with the FAA to work out proper and efficient guidelines for such flights.
Strauss further noted that his company recently relocated its headquarters from Stamford coworking space Serendipity to TIP Digital, the technology incubation program at UConn”™s Stamford campus. A by-invitation-only affair, TIP Digital now has brought on 12 startups.
Various members of TIP Digital have helped WaveAerospace integrate into UConn”™s community, and a number of students ”” “research fellows, not interns,” Strauss emphasized ”” are helping with research and development. Manufacturing continues in Greenwich.
“It”™s an incredible facility,” he said of the TIP space, “and we”™re very proud to have been asked to be a part of it.”
