Drones continue to rise in popularity, for both commercial and private industry. Research firm Markets on Markets predicts that the global drone industry will grow to reach $5.6 billion by 2020. That’s a potential for quite a few drones in the shared airspace.

In countries with poor infrastructure and few delivery options, drone technology can be a literal lifesaver in times of crisis. Many humanitarian organizations have experimented with Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) to find survivors in disaster zones, deliver medical supplies and carry out other humanitarian tasks.

The 2016 Rio Olympics have come and gone—the first Olympic Games to be held in South America. As we saw Simone Manual make Olympic history or watched Michael Phelps wrap up his storied run as the most decorated Olympian, another type of history took place behind the scenes. Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) helped to power the Games and even changed the way we watched them.

Drones, aka unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), are becoming an asset to public safety. As the number of drones in our skies increases, the industry has faced concerns about safety. But UAS are actually very safe to operate and can even improve public safety, especially with the help of operational intelligence (OI) technology to improve situational awareness in shared airspace.

Business is booming for drones and the economic potential of wider use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) is enormous. UAS for military applications have been around for decades, but recreational and commercial uses are new territory. With drones in the hands of novices, there’s been plenty of controversy around them.

Commercial businesses using drones, also called unmanned aircraft systems or UAS, is skyrocketing. And new developments are making adoption easier and less expensive for a number of companies that might have otherwise bypassed this attention-grabbing technology.

Following Simulyze’s successful support of NASA’s first nationwide drone traffic management test flights this April, we have even more exciting news – we successfully deployed our Mission Insight OI (operational intelligence) application again this month. During the first U.S. ship-to-shore drone delivery at the Cape May-Lewes Ferry Terminal in North Cape May, N.J., the application gathered, processed, transmitted and visualized situational awareness data from unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) during the June 22nd Drones in Disasters ‘Do Tank’ event.

This March, the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA's) first approved autonomous commercial drone delivery to an urban residence took place in Nevada. The successful test was a sign of things to come, highlighting the exciting opportunities that unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) can present.

It was inconceivable just a few years ago, but today drones are coveted by hobbyists and businesses alike—steadily flying off the shelves and into people’s homes and offices. They are being used more and more for commercial purposes as thousands are entering our skies. This industry growth has inevitably resulted in growing safety concerns.

Last month, the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) hosted the largest trade show for the systems and robotics industry in New Orleans. XPONENTIAL 2016 hosted more than 8,000 leaders and professionals in robotics and unmanned systems who came together to discuss the latest advancements and innovations in the unmanned systems market.