As a growing number of journalists and news organizations begin to test the use of drones as a newsgathering tool, CNN and Georgia Institute of Technology have announced that they will embark on a joint research initiative this summer on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The researchers plan evaluate the technology, explore some of the opportunities it opens up for use by media organizations and study a variety of personnel and safety issues that need to be addressed if the UAVs are to be used in the national air space.
The effort will be staffed by senior members of CNN’s newsgathering team and researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute.
The two organizations plan to share their research data with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which is in the process of preparing regulations for the commercial use of UAVs.
“Our hope is that by working cooperatively to share knowledge, we can accelerate the process for CNN and other media organizations to safely integrate this new technology into their coverage plans,” said David Vigilante, senior VP, legal at CNN. “It’s a natural opportunity to work with our neighbors at Georgia Tech, who have experience, expertise and insights into this area.”
