DRONELIFE

Stay up to date on all the latest Drone News

Make Yourself Smarter. This Whitepaper is Worth Reading: Kittyhawk Explains Remote ID for Drones

by 11 Comments

While many whitepapers are good only as a substitute for Sominex, Kittyhawk has written one well worth reading carefully.

“Remote ID & Drones” (download for free here) takes views from all over the industry to unpack the hot topic of remote ID for commercial drone users, explaining both what it is and why we need it.  The paper provides a brief history of the topic, an understandable explanation of the difference between the “broadcast” and “networked” models of remote ID,  and defines the technical terms.  Based on interviews with a broad range of industry stakeholders, including manufacturers and regulators, Kittyhawk explains why Remote ID for drones is necessary – and what commercial applications will be available when it is implemented.

The FAA Reauthorization package signed into law in 2018 made provisions for the FAA to require Remote ID for drones.  Since then, it’s been a hot topic in the drone industry as hobbyists and commercial users alike try to figure out what benefits they’ll gain – and what privacy they may stand to lose – when Remote ID is implemented.  Kittyhawk and other stakeholders make the case that Remote ID in an enabling technology – and one that far from representing government overstep may protect the industry from over-regulation:

Remote ID will help limit the proliferation of laws enacted by a patchwork quilt of cities and states specifically targeting drones and drone operations. Particularly amongst those active in developing legal and policy matters around drones is the belief that Remote ID can lead to more effective enforcement of federal and state laws already in existence – thus eliminating the need for restrictive rules only applicable to drones.

Additionally, the paper points out that with a robust system of Remote ID in place, there will be fewer “special cases” in operations:

Remote ID will extend the operating environment for drones in critical areas. New use cases will emerge as the technology becomes more mainstream and the capabilities of drones increases. With a more reliable operational and compliance framework established, special use cases will become everyday functions.

Remote ID is coming – it’s up to drone operators to educate themselves on what it really means.

Reader Interactions

Trackbacks

  1. […] Remote ID for drones is a complicated – and contentious – issue.  The Remote ID (RID) NPRM (Notice of Proposed Rulemaking) is scheduled to be published in September, but what’s the likelihood of that happening?  The panel featured some of the top  legal and commercial drone experts in the industry – moderated by drone journalist Chris Korody, author of Dronin’ On, who has followed the issue closely. […]

    Reply

  2. […] Remote ID is generally considered by the commercial industry to be a critical building block of drone integration, necessary before regular flight over people or beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) can be implemented.  While many proposed RID systems use either broadcast solutions, such as the systems from DJI and Intel; or network-based remote ID capabilities, an either-or scenario leaves gaps in coverage that could be exploited deliberately or are unavoidable by circumstance.  In broadcast remote ID solutions, drones transmit a signal to a receiver on the ground.  It’s a useful method for being able to see and ID (and avoid) drones near you, but over greater distances the connection may be lost.  Network ID systems would have operators connect to an FAA-approved service supplier (the FAA calls these USS) much like the service suppliers who currently deliver low altitude notification and authorization capability (LAANC).  Networked systems, however, rely upon network connections, which may be lost in remote areas.  In all cases, the ultimate goal is to allow authorities to identify all aircraft in the air and connect them with an operator. […]

    Reply

  3. […] Remote ID is generally considered by the commercial industry to be a critical building block of drone integration, necessary before regular flight over people or beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) can be implemented.  While many proposed RID systems use either broadcast solutions, such as the systems from DJI and Intel; or network-based remote ID capabilities, an either-or scenario leaves gaps in coverage that could be exploited deliberately or are unavoidable by circumstance.  In broadcast remote ID solutions, drones transmit a signal to a receiver on the ground.  It’s a useful method for being able to see and ID (and avoid) drones near you, but over greater distances the connection may be lost.  Network ID systems would have operators connect to an FAA-approved service supplier (the FAA calls these USS) much like the service suppliers who currently deliver low altitude notification and authorization capability (LAANC).  Networked systems, however, rely upon network connections, which may be lost in remote areas.  In all cases, the ultimate goal is to allow authorities to identify all aircraft in the air and connect them with an operator. […]

    Reply

  4. […] Remote ID is generally considered by the commercial industry to be a critical building block of drone integration, necessary before regular flight over people or beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) can be implemented.  While many proposed RID systems use either broadcast solutions, such as the systems from DJI and Intel; or network-based remote ID capabilities, an either-or scenario leaves gaps in coverage that could be exploited deliberately or are unavoidable by circumstance.  In broadcast remote ID solutions, drones transmit a signal to a receiver on the ground.  It’s a useful method for being able to see and ID (and avoid) drones near you, but over greater distances the connection may be lost.  Network ID systems would have operators connect to an FAA-approved service supplier (the FAA calls these USS) much like the service suppliers who currently deliver low altitude notification and authorization capability (LAANC).  Networked systems, however, rely upon network connections, which may be lost in remote areas.  In all cases, the ultimate goal is to allow authorities to identify all aircraft in the air and connect them with an operator. […]

    Reply

  5. […] Remote ID is generally considered by the commercial industry to be a critical building block of drone integration, necessary before regular flight over people or beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) can be implemented.  While many proposed RID systems use either broadcast solutions, such as the systems from DJI and Intel; or network-based remote ID capabilities, an either-or scenario leaves gaps in coverage that could be exploited deliberately or are unavoidable by circumstance.  In broadcast remote ID solutions, drones transmit a signal to a receiver on the ground.  It’s a useful method for being able to see and ID (and avoid) drones near you, but over greater distances the connection may be lost.  Network ID systems would have operators connect to an FAA-approved service supplier (the FAA calls these USS) much like the service suppliers who currently deliver low altitude notification and authorization capability (LAANC).  Networked systems, however, rely upon network connections, which may be lost in remote areas.  In all cases, the ultimate goal is to allow authorities to identify all aircraft in the air and connect them with an operator. […]

    Reply

  6. […] Remote ID is generally considered by the commercial industry to be a critical building block of drone integration, necessary before regular flight over people or beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) can be implemented.  While many proposed RID systems use either broadcast solutions, such as the systems from DJI and Intel; or network-based remote ID capabilities, an either-or scenario leaves gaps in coverage that could be exploited deliberately or are unavoidable by circumstance.  In broadcast remote ID solutions, drones transmit a signal to a receiver on the ground.  It’s a useful method for being able to see and ID (and avoid) drones near you, but over greater distances the connection may be lost.  Network ID systems would have operators connect to an FAA-approved service supplier (the FAA calls these USS) much like the service suppliers who currently deliver low altitude notification and authorization capability (LAANC).  Networked systems, however, rely upon network connections, which may be lost in remote areas.  In all cases, the ultimate goal is to allow authorities to identify all aircraft in the air and connect them with an operator. […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *