Response to DJI White Papers

In July and September of this year, DJI released White Papers covering the UAS/UAV industry. In July the paper was “A Call for a Balanced Remote Identification Approach” and discussed non-networked localized ID’s, available technologies and privacy. The September paper was, “Unmanned Traffic Self-Management: How Smart Drones Will Find Their Own Way In the Airspace” and covered the systems being developed, the technologies involved, privacy, and a call for research and collaboration.

These papers are important and I like to see companies taking initiatives like this. Companies spearheading advancements in technologies is essential, but it is also important to organize all the data and get a sense of direction collaboratively across the industry so that efforts can be unified and benefits to the consumer and developers maximized.

In their July paper, DJI called for a balanced approach to solving safety, security, and accountability concerns. This while taking into account operator privacy and safety in an effort to create an identification method to give localized identification without permanently recording or logging operator information. This is a reasonable and logical approach to the safety of the public with UAS/UAV activity is absolutely necessary as well as the security of the operators' security of their personally identifiable information is equally important as the risk of digitally shared information risks are high in this day of technology. The paper states that deploying technology that already exists will the primary method that should be leveraged to create this system. Again, I agree as this removes additional costs to the consumer and developers with technology that is already proven capable.

DJI’s September paper covers the traffic management system and goes into On-Board Anti-collision Technology (OATs) at length. OATs includes two primary technologies: vehicle to vehicle communicated by direct radio protocols, and environmental sensors such as sense and avoid and LIDAR. These technologies are being developed by several major companies with billions of dollars devoted and invested. The level of safety already developed is competent and the rate at which the technology is improving will surely allow the deployment of these systems into the airspace via UAS/UAV relatively soon seeing the push forward in the industry.

This again is a reason the release of the DJI white papers has been commendable as they are attempting to get the industry on the same page as well as letting the public be aware of the state of affairs as of today and possibly where things are going.