The commercial unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) industry has seen a rise in activity within the past year, with commercial drone registrations growing from around 500 in 2015 to more than 5,000 in 2016. While this spike is great for the industry, it’s highlighting the need for safe flight regulations to ensure that UASs and manned aircraft can coexist in shared airspace.

While unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) technology is best known for military and intelligence applications, plenty of surprising commercial uses have emerged. Maps built from UAS images are transforming industries from government research to agriculture to wildlife preservation.

As drones become more and more mainstream, they’re being used for initiatives other than military operations and the global defense industry—and now drones are forging a new frontier in cinematography.

The news is full of stories of crises around the globe, and getting much-needed aid and materials to affected areas – whether in times of natural disasters or ongoing humanitarian issues – can often be a challenge. Natural and manmade disasters often take out critical infrastructures, from roads to railways to means of communication, leaving first responders scrambling in times when they’re needed most.

With GoPro developing a drone and universities offering degrees in unmanned aircraft systems (UASs), the technology is making the move from military to mainstream applications. Already a multi-billion dollar global defense industry, the civilian drone market is expected to grow 19 percent annually from 2015 to 2020, driven primarily by commercial industries.

As the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) begins granting permits for unmanned aircraft system (UAS) flight across a number of commercial industries, the technology is poised to join GPS-guided tractors and wireless solar-powered sensors as everyday technologies enabling farmers to be more proactive about their crop management. In fact, Bank of America Merrill Lynch estimates that over the next 10 years, UAS technology has the potential to generate $82 billion in economic activity in the agricultural industry alone.

The unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) industry is primed for take off as the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) nears it decision on the use of commercial drones in U.S. airspace. With commercial applications such as agriculture, real estate and even mining and construction waiting for the FAA’s regulations, the industry is poised for dramatic growth.

Maintaining security in U.S. cities, states and borders is a round-the-clock job for domestic law enforcement agents. With new threats emerging every day, keeping a close watch by land, air and sea requires the use and adoption of innovative new technologies, which has included unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in recent years.

While the unmanned aircraft system (UAS) itself bears little resemblance to the drones making huge headlines, military and defense applications were the predecessors to modern day operational intelligence (OI) technology that has the potential to revolutionize commercial markets. In fact, the new OI applications on the market are enabling UAS technologies large and small to connect to greater situational awareness.

Mobile technology is making the days of working behind a desk from 9 to 5 a thing of the past. As smartphones, mobile apps and WiFi connectivity become more ubiquitous, working from anywhere and at anytime is a very real possibility.