White House to Host Workshop on Drone Benefits, Implications

Integration of drones in the national airspace, their innovative commercial and government uses, the role of R&D in drone policymaking, and privacy and safety concerns will be topics at a White House workshop Tuesday, 9-11 a.m. Hosted by the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the live-streamed event will feature remarks by Michael Huerta, head of the Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith and Intel CEO Brian Krzanich, who co-leads the FAA's Drone Advisory Council (see 1605040017). Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International CEO Brian Wynne will moderate a panel on the technical progress of drones at the event, which will convene a number of other academic, federal and industry experts. Following the White House event, a live flight demo of a drone will be at the Newseum at 1:30 p.m. In June, the FAA finalized new rules for the commercial use of drones weighing less than 55 pounds (see 1606210025).