Lousiville is seeking to fly automated drones to sites where gunfire has been detected, becoming the first city to do so. This is dependent on the approval of the FAA, which accepted applications by local authorities for the UAS Integration Pilot Program. The program, which was put in place by the Trump administration, seeks to permit new innovation zones where local authorities can operate drones beyond the current line-of-view regulation.

Cutting-Edge Technology in Lousiville

The Office of Performance Improvement & Innovation in the Lousiville local government is spearheading the application, led by the city’s chief of civic innovation, Grace Simrall. This department is tasked with integrating technology into the governance system to make it better and if given the go-ahead, the automated drones will contribute greatly to this goal. The city is already using a cutting-edge technology known a ShotSpotter which is able to triangulate the location of a gunshot to within 80 feet, enabling the police to respond quickly. The automated drones would be integrated into this system and can then respond immediately and monitor the situation so that the police department can respond better.

The ShotSpotter has been effective, but only when the response team gets there in time or in areas where there is a public safety cameras. This limits greatly its potential as there are only 200 cameras in the city. The automated drones would therefore greatly increase the effectiveness of the ShotSpotter technology and contribute towards public safety in the city.

The city had decided to install more cameras to cover the whole city but this was later assessed to be both very costly and also in violation of people’s privacy. Moving cameras affixed to drones was decided at as the most convenient and affordable solution. The drones don’t have to cover the whole city as they can fly to the areas where they are most required within minutes.

A Community Initiative

The FAA advised local governments that applied for the program to partner with the local community, including research institutions, private companies and public institutions to increase their chances of being selected. Lousiville has taken that into consideration and has partnered with 25 institutions. They include the Louisville Fire Department and the University of Kentucky’s Drone Research Center. Private partners include VizionAir, a drone company based in Lousiville and Aptonomy, a drone company based in California.

The FAA will only approve a few of the applicants with the minimum being five. If approved, Louisville will conduct massive research and extensive testing before finally starting to use the automated drones. The city has already picked Perry County as the site for the testing.