Recently the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) chose six teams from across the nation to research the safety of unmanned commercial aircraft. The teams will also provide operational standards that could allow the aircraft to share the skies with jets and helicopters.

New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is part of a site team that will evaluate the flying robots at New Jersey’s Air National Guard Range at Warren Grove and the William J. Hughes FAA Center in Pomona. The site team grew out of a collaboration between New Jersey and Virginia; the team is led by Virginia Tech and includes NJIT and American Aerospace Advisers, a private company partnering with NJIT.

By 2015, the FAA must report to Congress on whether to allow unmanned aircraft into the national air space. If approved, these autonomous aircraft could be used by commercial companies to deliver packages, inspect agricultural lands, guide ships, and monitor oil spills. They could also be used to help police and firefighters enhance public safety.

But first, the government must ensure that these flying robots are safe.

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